Green Thoughts
by loungelizard85
Summary: Kitty sings 'Somewhere That's Green' for musicals week and relects on her growing feelings. One-sided Karley, for now Fic Title is from the short story that inspired 'Little Shop of Horrors' I own neither Glee or Little Shop of Horrors. Chapter twelve is up.
1. Chapter 1

Kitty Wilde was not the biggest fan of musicals. She could take them or leave them, really. However, Kitty did enjoy one above the rest- _Little Shop of Horrors_.

It wasn't that she had a thing for plants, or sadism, or anything. She understood the deeper meaning of both the play and 1986 movie versions- how dark ambitions could make one give up their true desires.

That sat deeply with Kitty. Ambitions and success were their own drugs- people got a high over winning, even if the prize was useless, or worse, detrimental to them. Seymour almost lost his love to a fucking _flower_ after all, and even then the plant was in their yard at the end.

So when Finn invited Rachel Berry to help him host a glee club meeting, and decided that given her specialty, having a musical week for the glee lesson would be best, Kitty chose _Somewhere That's Green_.

Going over the song, she decided to skip the first verse- too many mentions of the sadistic dentist, Orin Scrivello.

Although, there was another reason. In this verse Audrey sings for her love for Seymour despite dating the dentist. For Kitty, that hit a little too close to home.

Vintage Puckerman was great. He had dreams and goals in addition to the spontaneity, and had just enough sweetness to cut the arrogance that came with being a bad boy in high school. And all that meant that she wasn't on a one-way trip to being a Lima loser.

But, if she was being truthful, when she sung the lines about cooking like Betty Crocker and looking like Donna Reed, she wasn't picturing Noah taking care of the garden outside their tract home.

And it hurt like hell to string him along, it did. She tried to make it up to him by constantly sifting through his notes on his screenplay and giving recommendations, but still she felt guilty.

She wasn't sure if the object of her affection fell in the 'Ambition' or 'Love' category, really. In this instance she could feel real feelings: joy, curiosity, _hope_, but the desire to do what she wanted, when she wanted gave her pause. What she had said to Noah was true- she was used to getting her way, but this seemed like more.

It was scary, that's for sure. If these feelings were real, then she was in trouble. She would be responsible for breaking up a number of relationships- hers, Jake's and Marley's and the brother's fledging family reunion. As much of a bitch she was, and she was one in spades, she didn't have it in her to take away someone else happiness for her own. Spite was easy, making someone else feel as bad as she did, easy.

But when eating dinner together or watching the kids play Howdy Doody (note to self: get kids toys from _this_ century) she didn't need to think about how she would be thinking about him, and what could have been.

Because Marley was too sweet. If she had managed to exacerbate the girl's eating disorder, than what would happen if she came up to her bearing her heart instead of her fangs? Would Marley make the best choice for herself? Kitty had her doubts.

Coming to the final part, now in front of the current glee club, the band, Finn with his gassy infant look, that she had come to recognize as his attempt at being neutral, Rachel, looking pleased as punch to have corrupted a new generation of kids on musicals and finally Santana, watching her with a knowing look, every time her eyes stayed a bit too long on Marley, managing to keep her pronouns straight and avoid saying _she_ instead of _he, _she blinked back the fast coming tears.

_Far from skid row,_

_I dream we'll go_

_Somewhere that's Green_


	2. Mean Green Mothers

So, I've decided to continue with this. Especially after the good fortune of the Quinntana coupling in the last episode Thank you Glee!

Santana had decided to tag along with Rachel on her visit back to McKinley. Now that she had her priorities straight-no pun intended- because of Brittany, she felt it was no longer a temptation to be a big fish in a little pond. Still, some habits are hard to break-such as Rachel's insistence on musicals week, and Santana's insistence on rolling her eyes.

Still, it wasn't a total bust. Watching Rachel freeze at Brittany's insistence of doing 'Prom Night Dumpster Baby' from _Family Guy_ was almost better than her sweet lady kisses- Brittany's, not Rachel's- _almost_.

"Brittany, I don't think that-that would be appropriate for this-this venue"

"Why? Because you don't like unwed mothers or dumpster babies?"

"I-I consider both topics of great concern-"

"So your contend that unwed mothers and dumpster babies are concerning to you? What are your plans to eliminate them?"

Rachel looked dizzy, so Santana decided to step in.

"Just let her do the song, Berry. It's a musical number and I hear that Seth McFarlane is, like, famous for his love of musicals, he sticks them in every episode. Not everything has to be about parades and the freaking wizard of Oz."

"Fine. Brittany you can do the song" Brittany made a gesture of triumph and grinned at Santana who returned the smile, and resisted the urge to go weak in the knees.

Things proceeded, regretfully, to Santana at least, at a steady and normal pace. Most of the guys besides Blaine had decided to do numbers from Green Day's _American Idiot_, and Blaine himself needed time to think, because the possibilities were endless. Santana knew he would take this as an opportunity to call Kurt, back in New York (She didn't think that anyone one besides herself ever, from Ohio, referred to New York as 'back in') to pick his brain and otherwise catch up. Wade/Unique settled on '525,600 Minutes' from _Rent_ and Marley asked for some more time, not yet sure. Tina picked a song from _Once_ and finally Rachel came to Kitty, AKA Miss Bitchy Fantastico.

_This should be good_, Santana thought, wondering what barb mini -Quinn might hurl her way.

Primly, Kitty responded, "Somewhere That's Green', from _Little shop of Horrors_" Santana was surprised, as were, given their faces, a few of the current glee club members.

"Sounds great. Okay, that leaves only Marley and Blaine undecided for today," Rachel ended, quickly; glad to avoid a possible confrontation with the blonde. Glee club ended soon after, but Santana found she was curious.

"What, someone had you spayed?" Santana approached Kitty while the rest of the members streamed out, and Brittany attempted to arrange an interview with Rachel for _The Muckraker_, and Sam attempted to pull her away from an increasingly flustered Berry.

"Good one. I hear Leno's looking for a token Latina to add to his team of writers, you should apply, if you not too busy reliving your glory days of _five months_ ago." Kitty adjusted the strap of her backpack and waited for Santana to respond, walking away would just make the woman follow her into a crowded hallway, and besides, Kitty needed to save face after being called a bitch in their last encounter, however much she deserved it at the time.

"You just like musicals, suddenly?"

"I like that one. Besides if your _ex_ is going be singing about abandoned fetuses, I think I can choose one from a musical about alien plants." Kitty looked over to where Sam had whispered _run_ to Rachel, and she took off, Brittany in pursuit, with Sam in tow. Santana swallowed thickly, against the reminder that she was with him now, and had overtaken the role of Brittany's protector.

"Are we done now? Because I don't want people getting the wrong idea about me being alone in a room with you." Apparently the bitch was back, and wasn't planning anything as Santana had suspected, she wordlessly stepped aside, and Kitty trotted out.

In the now deserted hallway, however, Kitty broke into a run.

Life was relatively easy for Kitty. Her parents were generally supportive of everything she did (that they knew about anyway) and most of the students at school either avoided her or were ambivalent. It helped that there was little that interested her at the large high school- classes were easy, Cheerios was approached with the same ambivalence a middle aged man might his midlevel job at a firm, useful but unfulfilling, and Glee was just something to do, that didn't take up much time and gave her an outlet for her bitch tendencies; Glee club was a democracy, so shooting down the dumb ideas that occurred gave her a laugh or three.

Problem was that was beginning to change. Ever since losing Jake to Marley, things were lagging. Kitty didn't care. She had plenty of suitors, or least, fuck buddies. Hell, she had to face it; it wasn't even Jake she was upset about.

That was why she chose her song selection. It fit well; just like losing Jake wasn't the real problem in her life, Audrey, jr. the evil carnivorous plant wasn't the issue in _Horrors_. Seymour was.

Although she looked like Audrey, she felt like Seymour and wished she was a 'mean green motha' who took what she wanted, even if the price was a great deal of suffering. But she wasn't- she was the useless of all three characters: too subtle, like Audrey, too ensconced in her own issues like Seymour, and entirely destructive like Audrey, Jr. when left to her own devices. For now she would have to play all three characters. It was becoming tiresome.

A/N: So, this is the lead up to Kitty singing her piece. Next chapter deals with other parallels to the other characters issues, while working in the aftermath of the events of 'I Do'~LoungeLizard


	3. Suddenly, Marley

A Glee week generally consists of five meetings, in order, but doesn't have to be in the same week. Because of Mr. Shuester's return and his wedding on Thursday, the current week had only three and a half days worth of club meeting. The musicals was an easy way to practice without interfering with an already 'edgy' ('psychotic' would be more apt, Kitty thought) Ms. Pillsbury, or put too much strain on Finn who had a major role to play in the wedding. Besides, after Diva Week, Finn was jumpy for some reason, hence why Rachel took over a large portion of the Glee club duties.

While this would make great fodder for a little mischief, Kitty had her own problems, namely the schizophrenic emotional roller coaster she had been on since selecting her song choice. To clarify, it wasn't _she_ who was schizophrenic but her _emotions_. She could feel them changing on her, never giving her enough timer to react to one before a slew of crap came over her every time, say, she heard Ryder suggest to Jake that he should make it "Valentines week" (never mind being referred to as a 'sophomore', hell, she's been more involved in Glee club than _that_ surfer boy wannabe) and Jake being oblivious to Ryder's feelings for Marley, or just pretending to.

First she felt angry, than she felt ashamed- Kitty Wilde did not lose control like that, and then frustrated for not shoulder checking _Beach Boy Bingo_ into some lockers.

In a span of a minute.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts and a deep breath to calm down, she rested her head against the perpetual cool of the lockers, attempting to conduct some of her frenzy into their Moai like stoicism: They would always be here long after Kitty left this place, even if she left Ohio, and more importantly they had been here long before Kitty was a freshman. Really, Figgins would let the lockers stand forever if he could, with a monotone drone of "_it's not in this year's budget_" and some presumptuous nickname, "_apathetic teen cheerleader_"

Kitty, laughed, drawing a few confused, somewhat alarmed stares. Ignoring them, Kitty gathered her things and left the lockers to their eternal vigil.

Santana was bored out of her mind. Watching Sam and Brittany didn't help, it only added anger and guilt to her current emotional repertoire. With Finn moping and Rachel seemingly content to follow him round for all eternity once again, she was left to amuse herself.

Touring the school made her feel David Wooderson creepy, and so she sequestered herself to the parking lot while Finn and Rachel did whatever in the school auditorium.

To her surprise, Puck was making his way towards the building.

"Didn't you spend _way_ too much time graduating to come back here this soon?" Puck head shot towards Santana's direction, scowl on his face, which vanished when he realized it was her and not some smartass McKinley student taking crack at him. After catching up, and Puck fetching some beers from his truck, Santana asked why he was here.

"Seeing my girlfriend" Puck answered nebulously. Santana looked confused.

"Who?"

"A Cheerio"

"This Cheerio got a name, or you don't know it yet?" Puck rolled his eyes.

"I've changed, Lopez. Same great Puckersaurus flavor in a nicer, _monogamous,_ packaging" he said feigning hurt.

"And who is this miracle worker, huh?"

"Her name's Kitty Wilde." In order to keep from spitting the piss warm beer all over the lot, Santana swallowed a rather large gulp, and began to cough.

"You're dating that… walking… _Bitch fit_?" Puck turned defensive.

"She's not nearly as bad as Quinn was at her age." The words 'her age' reminded Santana of another issue.

"Which is what, fifteen?! You're trying to go to jail, Puckerman?"

"She's got a fake I.D and she's sixteen." he responded meekly. Santana gaped.

"She looks _twelve_ anyway, what could you see in her?"

"Don't tell me you haven't been eyeing a few of the new glee clubbers since you dumped Brittany." Granted, a few of the Cheerios had caught her eye a moment or two, and, yeah, that Marley girl was enough of an improvement on Rachel that she had a newfound _appreciation_ for songstresses. But this was taking it way beyond innocence, even legality.

Besides, age of consent for girl-girl relations was sixteen. She had checked after some unsightly PDA between a freshman and senior sorority sister, after one two many margaritas, back in Kentucky.

"Not the point. You don't mess with sophomores. And…" Puck stared, waiting. Santana frowned, but something was off about the girl. Being a bitch was normal for a Cheerio, and despite Santana's disgust, being somewhat underage was normal for Puck.

"And…"

"And my gaydar goes off every time I see her." Santana finally realized what set her off about the blond- she had no problem with any other girl besides Marley, despite the fact that Jake was just like his brother, at least at first. Why be jealous of only one girl if your boyfriend's up for grabs. Puck just shrugged.

"So? Half the Cheerios would fall into the same category. And you think everyone is gay. Remember the Golden Globes? You thought Jodie Foster was gay."

"Jodie Foster _is_ gay, Puck"

"There you go again, you and your lesbian conspiracy theories." Santana stared at him.

"Look, that girl's probably just using you for a beard and you're going to get hurt."

"Kitty's been helping me with my screenplay. Would she do that if she was just using me, huh? No. Because she cares about what I want and what I want to do with my life. So back off and deal with your own issues."

"Like what?"

A voice rang out behind her. "You're back at your old high school after a few months, you're spazzing over your girlfriend who's with a guy, and you're taking crap behind my back. Should I keep going, or have you had enough?"

_Speak of the she devil…_

Kitty was supposed to meet Noah ten minutes ago. She had a decent list of suggestions for his movie, not the least of which involved getting the cast list down from two hundred to a more reasonable number. Kitty really had no trouble waiting, her impatience was mostly a show, she preferred to be alone most of the time, and was anxious around people, especially-

"Hi, Kitty" Marley gave a little wave, and began to pack a few books from her locker. Kitty froze, but then shifted, walking slowly, with a bored expression on her face.

Making a show of looking around, she asked, "So where's lover boy?" Marley blinked, surprised that Kitty actually ventured a conversation, and somewhat regretted acknowledging the blond in the first place. Her mother always told her to be polite, and now she felt a small pang of guilt at being so ersatz in her amicability. Putting it aside, she replied.

"Jake? Football practice, I've got a lot of homework, so we'll see each other tomorrow." Shutting her locker, she realized the Cheerio was herself alone.

"So what are you doing tonight?" There was some genuine curiosity, not much, but it was there.

"Waiting for Noah, date tonight." Marley nodded. Feeling an awkward silence coming on, and not wanting to just leave, Marley asked a question that had occurred to her, but wasn't of much importance.

"Kitty, why do you call him Noah, if everyone else calls him 'Puck?'" She really needed some conversation tips, may be a book or several.

"Can you imagine referring to your date as hockey equipment? And 'Vintage Puckerman' is just a pain in the ass to say. Marley laughed.

Kitty was a WASP in every sense of the stereotype. But at that point she felt very much like a stumbling Jewish man attempting to save face in front of the pretty brunette.

"Kitty?" Marley waved a hand in front of her face. Kitty blinked and refocused on Marley. Recovering she responded with a question of her own.

"Are you going to the wedding, Thursday?" Marley nodded.

"Jake's my date. He's been so sweet, lately, we decided a Valentine's day wedding would be perfect way to spend the holiday. You?" Kitty shook her head no.

"Noah can't make it, and I don't know either Ms Pillsbury or Mr. Shuester well enough to go by myself, so not really my thing. Besides, I heard a few of the other glee kids weren't going like that snotty rich kid who left.

"Sugar"

"Who the hell names their baby 'sugar', anyway?" Maybe Kitty was hoping for another laugh, maybe not, but Marley did, and She felt her insides squirm, impossibly, in a pleasant way.

"See you Kitty, I've got to go"

"Yeah, I should go find Noah, before he crashes football practice or something." Marley nodded and walked down the hall, throwing a wave over her shoulder which Kitty returned, briefly. She didn't want to seem too interested.

It didn't escape that she was disappointed her last comment didn't get one more laugh out of the brunette.

Kitty recognized Santana's sultry, critical voice asking what Noah saw in her. She thought about confronting the woman then and there, but paused, curious as to how Noah would respond. When he remarked about her fake identification, Kitty, suppressed a laugh. And when Santana suggested she was gay and Noah defended her, Kitty's insides squirmed, most definitely, in an unpleasant manner. She decided to intervene when Santana gave her an opening her ravenous inner Audrey, Jr. couldn't resist.

"Who asked you?" Santana rounded on the blond, who smiled sweetly.

"Sorry, I thought the question, like your legs, were open to everyone." Cheap shot, maybe, and hypocritical for sure, but it escalated the argument to a point where Noah stepped in, gave a brief farewell to Santana and took to his car, effectively snuffing out niggling questions about her sexuality, no matter who, even her, might have them.

A/N: so only one day till the wedding, and then the aftermath. Watching the episode it looked like everyone was there but Puck, Sugar, Kitty and Coach Bieste and of course, you know who. But I can't be sure. Chapters will have the names of songs from LSH, if you haven't already guessed. Next chapter will have some Kitty and Finn bonding given the similarity of their situations. Till then~ LoungeLizard 


	4. Prolouge (to Madness)

Kitty had made a critical mistake. _You would think, seeing Miss Pillsbury neurotic cleaning, and how easy it was to plant a seed of doubt in Marley's mind about her weight, I would learn how neuroses develop, and steer clear, but no_, she thought. A moment passed before she internally groaned at the turn of phrase _seed of doubt_.

Ever since yesterday, and the first day of musicals week in general, Kitty began to have…. lapses of consciousness. She was perfectly all right, but it was becoming hard to avoid finding parallels from Horrors to her own life, and that of others.

It didn't help that Miss Pillsbury and Mr. Shuester looked a hell of a lot like Audrey and Seymour, or that she kept comparing Jake's taking credit for Ryder's gifts to the abusive dentist in the story, but what made it worse was that every time a difficulty arose keeping her _growing_ (another groan) feelings under check, or Santana's snooping, or feeling deceitful towards Noah, her imagination, first under her direction, and now of its own accord, would pull a 'What Would Jesus Do' but with the Christian Lord and Savior replaced by either Audrey, Seymour, or Audrey Jr. If she was angry, the plant would materialize in some subconscious, and now in a more realistic, almost hallucinatory, (as did the other characters) capacity and prompt a rude if not directly insulting barb to deal with a situation (granted, insults were nothing new to Kitty Wilde, but these lacked the subtlety and grace that defined her responses' wit, a la Perry Cox of _Scrubs_). If she felt the warm and fuzzies if Marley, say, grinned (or laughed, or ate or did just about anything) her fears would rise, as would her own inherent bitchiness to cover up for them, now magnified by the presence of her green, vegetative reflection of self, to put in Jungian terms. Finally, Aubrey would help to maintain that her hidden feelings remained just that, avoiding any confrontation that would boil over into _unpleasantness_.

Like catastrophic emotional trauma. And fistfights. And families breaking up.

Aside from that, things were good. There was no 'gay panic', no question of her sexuality. She liked boys _and_ this _particular_ girl. Very much so. As much as she made a big deal about the _Left Behind_ series, her religious beliefs were more on par with a medieval monk, or a 1950s housewife than evangelicals: appearances matter and happiness corrupts. There are certain ways of doing things, and the natural order must be preserved. Of course, Kitty applied this to the standards of 2013- appearances meant being happy, not moody and disruptive, and _happiness_ meant reckless selfishness.

Of course she could always throw a monkey wrench or six into things; if Jake left Marley for the sole purpose of a guaranteed lay, well, then he didn't deserve Marley.

And maybe Marley would seek comfort with her. Maybe one thing would lead to another. Maybe Marley wouldn't realize that she was completely straight and Kitty was the bitch cheerleader who gave her anorexia. Maybe all hell wouldn't break out that made the entire club go to civil war.

A girl can dream, Can't she? As long as it stayed a dream, and didn't become anyone else's.

However, as of now, it seemed her dreams had escaped her, and contaminated the real world.

Now she sat in history class, listening to Mr. Shuester lecture on Cold War containment and Domino theory.

"In the early years of the twentieth century, in the opening of a decade not too long before our own, the human race suddenly encountered a deadly threat to its very existence. And this terrifying enemy surfaced, as such enemies often do, in the most seemingly innocent, and unlikely of places…."

Shuester must have gotten turned around in his curricula notes again, because she was sure she had heard this lecture before. Now, she was going to have to listen to a repeat lecture while it seemed the entire class was strumming their writing utensils on their desks, an almost steady drumbeat formed from their collective actions. And then some were snapping their fingers. Kitty considered telling them to knock it off, certain Shuester would appreciate the removal of a distraction from his classroom.

However, there he was, tapping his oxford shoe in time with the strumming. Looking around the room, she cold see the other students staring at their notebooks or laptop screens, or off into space, their hands however moving in perfect synchronicity, almost of their own accord. And there was Artie, tuning his electric guitar.

Was Artie even in this class? Why did he have an electric guitar?

How in the _hell_ do you _tune_ an _electric_ guitar!?

Kitty began to feel dizzy. Turning back to the front of the room, she heard him play a few riffs, and recognized the Into to _Little Shop of Horrors_.

"No. no, no, no, no," she began to recite a mantra aloud, hoping to stem both a tide of nausea and insanity.

Shuester climbed to the top of the desk, with Artie joining him,(Apparently wheelchairs can't go up stairs, but desks are fine) accompanied by Brittany, Tina, and Unique, in full blue regalia and large hair.

"_Little shop, Little shop of horrors. Little shop, Little shop of terror, no, oh, oh, no-oh."_

This was not happening. A dream, surely. Kitty brightened. This _was_ a dream, because there was no way in hell Brittany was in the same history class as her.

But how to wake up? Kitty paused for a moment trying to block out the singing warning her to tell her '_mama, something gonna get her, She better (everybody better) beware'_ Then she noticed the wheels on the desk. Of course.

Opening the conveniently located door to the classroom, she then returned to and began to push the desk out. Surprised she could move an oak wood desk with five, still dancing, people on it, she got the drift when the trio got to the _"Runaway child, you gonna pay/ If you fail" _line: like any good musical she had to strain and huff to move the desk, despite it gliding along with every push at an equal distance from the last effort; she had to ham it up. The more she overacted (at one point pushing the improvised stage with her feet, supine position on the floor; it moved just as easily), the faster it passed the door jam. Each ducked as they passed through the doorway (except Artie).

"_Look out! Look out! Look out!"_ Kitty slammed the door shut.

"Shut the hell _up_!"

Everyone in the class stared at her; she was back at her desk, as was the teachers' back in the room. Mr. Shuester frowned.

"Kitty… do you have a problem with the lesson plan?" A few of the students laughed, and Kitty smiled nervously.

"I-I'm not feeling well, can I get a pass to go to the nurse?" Mr. Shuester's frown deepened, but he fetched the slip of paper and handed it to her, as she came up, rather cautiously, to the desk to take it.

As Kitty, walked toward the general vicinity of the nurse's office, of which she had no intention of going, she heard Mr. Shuester call after her. She could not catch a break. Why was doing the right thing so damn hard?

"Kitty, are you okay."

"I said I didn't feel well, Mr. Shuester."

"I know, I mean… he paused, and Kitty knew he was avoiding the word _mentally_.

"Look, I'm just a little queasy; I think I may be coming down with something. Something _infectious_, Mr. Shuester." She replied, hoping he would back off at the risk of catching something. He didn't.

"You know, you can call me 'Mr. Shue.' Everyone else does."

"I rather not," Kitty said, keeping her face neutral. The teacher paused, then continued.

"It's just that…. some of the other glee kids have said you've been acting strange…" Kitty narrowed her eyes.

"Who said that, and _how_, may I ask, have I been acting strange, exactly?" Again, Mr. Shuester paused.

"Well, he said finally, there was your music selection for Glee club earlier this week." Kitty was confused.

"What's so odd about that?"

"That you picked one." The teacher finished bluntly. Kitty smirked.

"I know I'm not a team player, sure, but I contribute and everyone thinks I'm ill?"

"Not everyone, no. Its just, you seemed cooperative Monday, but then you were… _aggressive_ the rest of the week. And not in the usual way." Mr. Shuester lowered his voice, and had a sympathetic look on his face. "You seem on edge."

"I seem on edge?" she asked a bit too loud; a freshman in the halls paused to look, but thought better of it. In a softer voice, Kitty continued.

"I'm fine. If you haven't noticed, its your fiancé and your sub that's been acting like a…. like they're on edge." Kitty decided against using the word freaks in the nick of time, and instead chose air quoted mockery. Insulting, but not altogether disrespectful. Mr. Shuester looked downright concerned now, wrinkles forming on his, to Kitty, creepily baby like face. She wasn't sure to be offended or pleased that the teacher only seemed now to be genuinely interested.

"Emma… Miss Pillsbury… seemed odd to you, more than just pre-wedding jitters?"

"She scrubbed the entire row of lockers, Mr. Shuester." He smiled.

"That's normal for her."

"Without face mask and goggles?" Mr. Shuester's face dropped instantly. Despite herself, Kitty felt bad for him. And besides the mopey look on his face was making her uncomfortable. Whatever happened to hiding your emotions? "I mean, I'm sure, she's just getting ready, you know, getting stuff out of the way so you two can enjoy your honeymoon, right? You're excited about that?" It took a moment for her to realize she just asked her teacher about his honeymoon in the same voice one might ask a five year old about chocolate milk. "Not that it's any of my business, or anything…", she backtracked. Lucky for her, he decided to spare her any more embarrassment.

"Excited? Sure." He paused. "About the wedding, and everything" he started again, avoiding the word 'honeymoon.' "I thought that she was getting better." He said it more to himself than her. After another uncomfortable moment, Kitty spoke.

"I'm sure it takes time. Maybe she doesn't need them anymore, or forgot them, so, maybe it takes more time to reduce the compulsive than the obsessive." Mr. Shuester nodded.

The bell rang, startling both as the hall began to fill, reminding him how he had left a class alone for a good twenty minutes, and her that students would wonder what they were talking about for those twenty minutes. Allowing her self to get lost in the onslaught of students changing classes, she nodded to the seemingly in deep thought Shuester, grateful he hadn't asked about her charge about Finn, and finding a quiet indent, rested her head on side of a locker.


	5. Wilde and Daughter

Even though it was only some of the glee club and barely any staff attending the wedding, the school felt empty. Not the, angst filled, lonely sort of _empty_; the literal absence of bodies in the halls was what Kitty noticed. Sugar had decided to skip today, not that Kitty cared; she saw her hop in a car after second period. Otherwise, the day felt like any other.

Of course that empty, end of the school term feeling made for a difficult distraction, not having glee club messed with her daily rhythm, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that.

The good thing about this, though was that the Greek chorus of _Horror_ characters were nonexistent while Marley was absent, even though it meant that Marley was _absent_. Again Kitty wasn't sure how to feel about that feeling. The school day passed quickly, it being the end of the week and Valentine's Day, most people had plans, including the teachers, whether one was single or not.

Excess candy wasn't going to eat itself, after all.

Kitty herself was alone, Noah away with family, apparently for "some Jewish stuff", as he had put it. She feigned disappointment at being alone on the most 'romantic' of holidays, and put up a decent fight, but made sure to give it up, before he did something stupid, like change his mind about going. Kitty liked to be alone on this day; even if she wasn't attempting to block out another face while being intimate with Noah and seeing imaginary literate carnivorous plants. Besides not being as close to either Mr. Shuester or Ms. Pillsbury (she would have to get used to adding a 'Mrs.' before the guidance counselor's name), and not wanting to wear a overly frilly, or slinky dress, solitude was next on the list.

Her parents had planned a four day weekend, and told her they would be gone when she came home. She had given them each a Valentine's card (a tradition started when she still pronounced it _Valentimes _Day) and wished them a great trip. When they heard she would be alone, though, they offered to postpone, so that she wouldn't be by herself while everyone else was with loved ones, but Kitty waved them off, and insisted that they enjoy themselves. While somewhat overprotective of their daughter, the Wilde's decided that it was best to give Kitty some space, and go on their trip as planned. Being by- the- book parents, Kitty, growing up, could generally make a case for something she wanted to do by citing the good it would do to develop social skills, or self reliance. It was how she convinced them to let her join the Cheerios squad, despite the inherent dangers of being thrown and caught by high school students at twenty feet in the air was a good thing, or that just because Noah was three years older than her, similar relationships would occur when she went to college, and it was good to get used to managing time between adult relationships and course work with extra curricular activities, sealing the deal by promising no more Rapture clubs.

It wasn't like she lied to her parents often, or ever really- she believed most of what she said. Besides she was sure they saw through her speeches and declared motives, and just wanted to make sure this was something she wanted to do.

Or at least in the case of Cheerios and Noah, could put up a convincing front.

Kitty ordered a pizza as it became dark outside, and she finished her homework. Offering a large tip to the delivery man, who clearly was expecting a heavy set individual, and not a slim sixteen- year- old so he would stop stuttering, asking if "this was, like, the right place, man"

"Totally, _dude_. Have a happy Valentine's Day" She smiled sweetly, showing her canine teeth

"Tch. Not likely, lady" he grumbled as he headed back to the _Breadsticks_ delivery van. Carrying in the veggie pizza, large order of breadsticks (with dip) and a large coke, and kicking the door close, she settled on the couch, popped in _My Bloody Valentine_ to the DVD player, and settled in after changing into a night shirt- her dad's OSU sweatshirt- and shorts.

Kitty was probably one of the few Cheerios on the squad who actually drank Coach Sylvester's cleanse, but she didn't need it; she had what her mom called the 'enviable curse' eating large meals like this didn't cause her to gain weight, so long as she exercised regularly, which Cheerios provided. She didn't think it was so enviable; slim was one thing, but Kitty would kill for a figure, like Quinn's or even that Berry girl. Up until the summer before sophomore year, she was flat, and even after developing, the change was minimal. She understood what Santana meant when she said she looked twelve, but that didn't mean she had to go there. Kitty being the old fashioned girl she was, hated looking so young- _Somewhere That's Green_ spoke to her because of that transition from one in the sticks to having a life of her own, and a family was what she wanted. Looking down at herself, Kitty thought that those babies would have squeeze out like toothpaste, and almost hurled a marinara covered bread stick across the room as the word _Cesarean_ crossed her mind.

Shaking her head, she refocused on the movie, a least until her cell phone chimed, indicating a text message. The screen read _cheerioredux_:Quinn.

Pausing the movie, Kitty scanned the message: _you'll probably find out about this tomorrow, but Ms. Pillsbury split on Schue; just an FYI so you don't step in it at glee club._

Kitty frowned, sending a text asking what happened. Her phone chimed a moment later: _Dunno, nerves, maybe. He's gone looking for her all over town, and Finn's helping._

_No one else? _Kitty asked. There was a bit of a pause, it took longer for Quinn to respond. _Pretty much everyone else was preoccupied… with each other. Besides, no one knows where she is and I doubt she wants to be found._

That made sense. Kitty, however frowned at the beginning of the message. Preoccupied with each other? Did that mean… Marley and Jake. Sure, Kitty heard about hooking up at weddings, but she didn't think that Marley would… be up for it. That was the centerpiece of her argument to ward Jake away, after all.

Kitty couldn't just outright ask for details, she had to be sly. She decided to ask if Quinn was 'preoccupied' as well. Again another pause, and then: _something like that. Who's the lucky guy? _Kitty inquired. Another pause and Kitty wondered what caused the older blond to become evasive.

_Don't freak out. _

_Why would I?_

_Because it's Santana._

_It's Santana what?_

_I was with her._

Oh. Kitty felt like a child, not understanding the earlier admission. She imagined typing it made Quinn feel similarly.

The screen had flashed twice, but Kitty only noticed one, asking if she was still there.

_Of course, why wouldn't I be? _

_Didn't think you would be okay with it. Are you?_

Although, she couldn't hear her voice, Kitty could tell that the question was asked with apprehension. She had not given a direct response to Quinn's revelation. For a tense minute, Kitty's earlier taunts came to haunt her, and she doubted her right (there really was no better word) to give Quinn the answer she wanted, to not hurt her feelings as she did so many others, uncaringly. But she could care now. She _should_ care now. She responded in the affirmative immediately. Her screen lit up again: _good to know. What are you up to?_

_Pizza and gory films. Are you guys staying over in hotels, or are a bunch of cars rocking in the parking lot?_ Kitty made sure to send a winking emoticon to remove any offense the text might have.

_a-ha. We're in the rooms. Basically it's me and S, Artie and Ms. Pillsbury's niece, Rachel's up here somewhere, and Kurt and Blaine are back together._

Kitty frowned. Everybody _but_ who she wanted. As though hearing her thoughts, the phone chimed again: _and Jake and Marley went back downstairs, I think to the dance floor or something. _Kitty let out a sigh of relief. While she wasn't planning anything, she really did not need to think of Marley and Jake going at it.

Her screen alerted her to an incoming message once more, this time Quinn saying farewell. Kitty returned the goodbye and set her phone on the couch, the light from the bouncing screen saver casting odd shadows.

Thinking how odd it was to stare at a screensaver, she started the movie once more. However, her thoughts strayed to Quinn's… _experimentation_, and subsequent nervousness, scared of what Kitty would think. That anyone would care what Kitty would think, besides out of avoiding a bitch fit, was foreign to her.

Kitty could barely tolerate Marley's inability to se past her crap. She wasn't sure she could deal with a world where Quinn couldn't either.

A/N just a bit of a bridge chapter to get to the last day of the week, and Kitty's song. Waned to shed some light on Kitty's parents, and not make them carbon copies of Quinn's. Expect some Will angst and confrontation between Santana and Kitty, next time. Until then, ~ LoungeLizard 


	6. Feed me, and inherit (It's a gas)

I hope the fact that this chapter is huge makes up for the long wait, which I'm sincerely sorry for. Thank you EmoChildP. To DD fans, this originally started as a faberry fic, and I may include some in the next chapter, though it'll be one sided, likely. Your suggestion of adding Glee project contestant Nellie actually solves my problem of what to do with Ryder, since I don't think someone like him will be content to be alone after everything, and I don't see Marley with him. Thank you for your review. Again I am sorry and without further ado, may I present Chapter six. ~LoungeLizard

"_And I'm taking a stroll_," Brittany sang, as a majority of the Cheerios chorused behind her, _"She's taking a stroll"_, all of them twirling a bit of rope tied about their waists to serve as severed umbilical cords. Dressed in what apparently was Brittany's idea of a diaper, or at least a diaper for a nineteen year old pretending to be a baby, sky blue lace underwear with pacifiers around their necks, leaving Kitty wondering how in the hell they had got this past Figgins, and how they were going to deal with the blowback if any school officials found out glee club watched half naked cheerleaders pretend to be abandoned babies, but if Brittany was able to get sheet music for a Family Guy cutaway gag, then she should be able to deal with the consequences.

As she watched the taller blond lead the troupe underneath the piano and band to simulate their walking away, leaving a confused, slightly aroused and, in the case of Rachel Berry, twitching glee club in its wake, Kitty dwelled in how this was not the oddest part of her day.

Coming to school hadn't been any different. Kitty didn't know what to expect, but whatever it was, it didn't happen. The students went to class, the teachers taught, and glee club was scheduled as planned. This was worse for Kitty, having been lulled into a false sense of security, and not expecting to run into an especially drooping (_enough with the plant metaphors_ she thought- yelled at herself) William Shuester.

"H-hi, Mr. Shuester," she stammered, having failed to avoid making eye contact. The teacher turned slowly towards her, and trying his best to smile, a truly painful exercise for both she was sure, acknowledged the girl, who at the moment would love to be anywhere else right this minute.

"Hello, Kitty." Apparently, that's all the teacher had in him for conversation, as a brutal silence surrounded them, even in the crowded hallway. Time seemed to fly by- as though the point of absolute mortification was rushing at them, and Kitty struggled with something to say. She thought of asking why the teacher would come in, it would be all right if he took a few days off, but considered he wouldn't want to be alone. She thought of badmouthing Ms. Pillsbury, call her a bitch and such, but considered that in his grief and anger he might strike if she did something that offensive. Besides, she didn't think it. Finally she thought of something innocuous and supportive. She smiled.

"It's good to see you, Mr. Shuester. Will you be at glee club today" The teacher nodded, and time stopped playing on fast forward, and the blood stopped rushing through her ears. "I'm glad, because a bunch of us still have our musical numbers to go through, and it would be really great for you to see them." To her relief, the teacher smiled broadly, and nodded again, more animatedly.

"I look forward to that, Kitty. I've got to get going, I'll see you there." Kitty gave a small wave to the disappearing form of Mr. Shuester, and turned to navigate the halls once again when she heard it.

_Kiss-ass_

Wheeling on the individual who would dare start with Kitty Wilde, especially hen she was trying to be nice- and was met face to face with the grinning visage of Audrey Jr.

"Did you j-just call me a K-kiss-ass?" Her voice trembled despite her attempts to speak quickly, before the fear set in.

The large maw stretched to a grin. _No shit, Sherlock. _A few of the kids remaining in the halls stared at her, wondering why the Cheerio was staring into space, but, likely remembering how Coach Sylvester encourages her team to starve themselves, thought better of agitating an already tripping teenager.

"I'm not-"

"You're not what, pocket size Barbie?" Kitty concluded that someone up _there_ hated her. She turned to face Santana. Fighting valiantly not to glance at the man sized carnivorous plant behind her- or, she told herself, that she _imagined_ behind her- and managed her best to look uninterested at the older Latina. Santana took a half step back.

"Shit, what'd you take?"

"Take?"

"Acid. Drugs. You look like you're tripping hard." Despite the situation, Kitty rolled her eyes.

"I'm not on anything. Unlike _you_, I'm not a deviant." Kitty felt some of her anxiety leave, until Audrey jr. opened its mouth again.

_Ditch the bitch. We've got _important_ matters to discuss. _"Like what?" Kitty asked, before she could stop herself.

"Seriously, do I need to call a nurse?" Frustrated at managing to hold it together just short of appearing perfectly sane, she spun on her heel and fixed a glare at the woman, now staring at her with something akin to genuine curiosity, and wariness, trying to figure out if this was some new ploy to cause havoc.

"I get you're trying to jump start the epic fail that is your existence. However, I must insist you stop projecting your inane inner squabbles on to me. Need to resolve some irresolvable psychic drama?" Kitty paused, noting the deep frown that etched itself in Santana's face; it didn't meet her eyes, dark pools unreadable. Whereas Kitty felt like the only sane one in a school full of over-dramatic and frustratingly neurotic individuals, being on the giving side of a semi psychotic rant was beginning to feel good, so she continued.

"Cause I do. And I don't want yours. And between your crap, and this _big-ass_ talking weed," She jerked her thumb towards the potted apparition; Santana's gaze shot to what, for her, was empty space and back to the Cheerio, now widened, "I might just…. She raised her eyebrows, inviting Santana to finish.

"go… _crazy_?" Santana reciprocated, trying not to make any sudden movements. Kitty grinned, showing too much of her canine teeth for the smile to be benign.

"I'm glad we could come to an understanding." Gesturing to the plant, she waved it over and Audrey Jr. followed her, leaving the McKinley alum standing alone in the empty hallway, unsure of what to make of…. anything.

"What's up?" Kitty had passed the point of caring about her appearance. She barely did before, and it seemed as though talking to imaginary fictional characters just took that apathy to a new level. Audrey Jr. twisted the bulbous beak that formed its 'head' as though cracking its nonexistent neck. The girl and her hallucination were in the auditorium, devoid of any other entity, corporeal or not.

_You know what's up. _Deciding to skip her Algebra II class (she had A's on all her tests and even if she didn't, the lectures didn't help: you _practice_ mathematics, you didn't explain it, Kitty thought), she sat in the fifth row of the main section, giving her a decent view of a darkened stage and Audrey Jr. hopping in its clay pot. Emboldened by the silence of the auditorium, as it seemed that the green menace spoke inside her head, and she, at a normal speaking level despite the distance between them, she toyed with the idea of skipping everything but Glee club and Cheerios practice. No one liked Coach Sylvester, and the faculty would probably avoid Mr. Shuester like the plague, so she wouldn't get caught. Besides, as good as her grades were, the teachers who were apathetic to their profession didn't bother-no skin off their backs- and those instructors that cared, found the idea of rallying up children for the sole purpose of attendance records was archaic and pointless bureaucracy. Only management cared-Figgins and the like- and one time wouldn't raise any eyebrows.

Still, that left her all day alone with the crabgrass from hell, and that was not an appealing way to spend her freedom from a routine.

"Listen, you overgrown avocado, I could be doing better things with better figments of my imagination. I'm only giving you an audience because you got me away from the female Matthew McConaughey. So make it quick before I break out the weed whacker and trim a little down below, if you catch my drift." Being a plant, she wasn't sure _what_ was down below, or if anything was. Honestly, Audrey Jr.'s mouth resembled a-

Kitty palled at where that thought was going, and shut her eyes as an intense blush formed along her fair skin.

_That's what's up, short-stuff. I've got a HUGE hankering and I need you to git it._

"You're an imaginary plant. How could you need to eat? Audrey Jr. chuckled.

_With that big ass forehead, you'd think you could put two and two together and realize: I'm not imaginary. I'm very real. And it's of the utmost importance that you FEED ME!_

Kitty leaned back in her seat. It was like trying to reach for something on the tip of one's tongue, only Kitty had a grasp of what the plant meant. How it resulted in Audrey Jr. getting fed was another matter, though.

A chord from an electric guitar indicated that Audrey Jr. intended to explain. Kitty groaned. _Not again._

The plant's chants of _feed me_ were accompanied by guitar, and an electric keyboard, neither of which were visible to Kitty.

_Feed me, girl, all night long. _The maw with vines goaded her, promised her, as though playing both good and bad cop.

"_Gee, I don't know._ Kitty was surprised to hear her voice rise in melodic harmony, as though the two were performing a duet. _"I don't know"_ It felt better to sing than to stay silent, and Kitty didn't think her a-melodic words could be heard.

"_I have so, so many, reservations." _Audrey Jr. followed behind her, stretching near her, as though to listen closely, concerned. _Not likely_, she thought.

"_Should I go, and perform reckless…. ministrations?" _Feeling her voice grow weak at the double entendre, Kitty shook her head roughly. "I'm not going to start trouble just so you can get your rocks off!" Kitty roared at the slithering serpent of foliage.

If the plant could, it would have rolled its eyes. Walking and hopping down the aisle, towards the stage, with Audrey Jr. promising some more things, but it was the plant's supplication to Kitty's idea of _"making Jake and Ryder turn green" _with envy, (although she doubted that a Harley would do the trick) that began to get to her. Shuddering at Audrey Jr. suggestion that a little _'nookie would get rid of that grit' _she pushed the idea of a willing Marley out of her mind. Kitty stopped clenching her teeth after that.

"There's nothing you could give me; you have nothing I want. Kitty was right: she just as well could have been talking to herself. Giving a sound of frustration, she was startled when Audrey Jr. twisted around her, and one of its buds opened to reveal a picture of Marley- a school photo, from the looks of it. Hair combed in no specific style, long along one side, and a conservative sweater, as though the girls everyday dress was more revealing; it wasn't, Marley was being her accommodating self: that sweater was almost assuredly picked out by her mother.

Audrey Jr. began to go weary of Kitty's reluctance to _'show a little initiative'_ and give in, the plant decided to go for the grand finale, and boomed, _It's pure simplicity/If you think you'll atone, look around and you'll see/some people deserve to be ALONE!_

Running back up the aisle, and out of the auditorium, Kitty rested against the double doors. The music stopped, but Audrey Jr. was still by her side

_Don't tell me you don't remember that Muppet playing cupid, all the while harboring his own feelings? Why should you step aside? _Kitty didn't answer.She didn't have one.

_I need some anger; you've got more than enough._ Kitty needed Marley; that was plain enough to see.

_So go get her._

Kitty trotted down the hallway in a daze; Audrey Jr. was nowhere to be found, the plant having said its piece. Although, she wasn't sure if the thing wanted her to fuck _with_ Marley or _just_ fuck Marley; it could be both. Deciding deciphering the motives and intents of a psychotic plant (especially one developed in her own psyche) was not healthy, mentally speaking; she found herself outside of and took refuge in the choir room to recollect her thoughts, and if she was lucky, her sanity. She felt tired, and disgusted in realizing that sense of weariness was unearned: she had literally done nothing today.

Attempting to salvage some productivity, she made an effort to sort through the notes she had made for _Somewhere That's Green._ Forgetting the entire first section, she stared down the lyrics, and scanned the sheet music. Checking her cellular, she found it was far too early for either Cheerio practice or Glee club, and there was no way the song was going to occupy even another fifteen minutes of her time.

_This is working out well_, Kitty thought sarcastically. It felt as though electricity was flowing through her body, her restless limbs pounding as she resisted the urge to move them. Slamming the book shut containing her work, she snapped up, and took up pacing in front of the ascending rows of chairs. Preparing her song was a good excuse, but, Kitty found she had no one to answer to.

She was confusing her excuses with her actual desires. She needed help. _Professional_ help.

Blowing a long stream of air and stretching her neck for the third time in as many minutes, _and_ attempting to think past the niggling thought of how _accommodating_ Marley could be, she came to the conclusion that she had to back track her lapse of solidarity.

After all, her anger was misplaced. The ultimate hypocrisy was with her, not with Ryder or Jake. Attempting to claim Marley, purely for its own sake, was cruel, and would only lead her to make this about her. Aubrey Jr. had a point, of course. It didn't need to lie; the truth was convenient enough for its manipulation. That was Kitty's cross to bear, so to speak. What was important, firstly was to take her feelings off the table and put every one else's first. Unyielding humility and self sacrifice couldn't be wrong, could it?

"Could it?" She asked aloud, half jokingly. No one answered. Another glance at her phone told her it was ten past eleven. Classes ended at a quarter to three. What could she do for another four hours?

Perhaps another song from _Horrors_? She could warm up with another song selection, avoiding her familiarity and uncomfortable questions. Unless the number triggered another break from reality. It occurred to her that her last…episode wasn't a dream, like the _Intro_. It had been a full on hallucination, likely stress induced. She had selected Somewhere That's Green because it gave her the ability to share a small part of her authentic self without having to be more familiar with her classmates.

Now it seemed her 'authentic self' was sharing itself without her permission.

If she wanted to regain control of herself, perhaps facing the beast head on was the best way of going about things. She was thankful she avoided the phrase, 'getting to the root of the matter'.

Calling up a list of numbers from the musical on her phone, she sifted through the results. Swallowing thickly, she came across 'Now (It's Just the Gas)', the song that followed 'Feed me (Git it)' in which Seymour watches Orin, the asshole dentist, die of asphyxiation while getting high on laughing gas. Kitty remembered laughing the first time she saw the scene, in the Broadway version, she had forgotten about this number. Really now, how does a dentist _and_ an experienced sadomasochist not have a gas mask he can handle? If you're going to do something of that sort, at least be smart about it.

Now, however, her stomach turned, and she glanced at the door, as if guilty. Looking away, she found a dilemma: not singing the song would mean she had something to be worried about. Singing the song would likely lead her somewhere she wouldn't-_couldn't_-go. Her mind spun the implications, whether honesty or stopping herself on this downward spiral was the greater moral obligation. Kitty blinked.

_Moral obligation?_ Who the hell was she? A _monk_? She was a high school girl with a crush, a perfectly _innocent_ crush. Kitty became angry. This was nonsense. She needed to get over herself. She wasn't either Jake's or Ryder's keeper.

_Or Marley's for that matter, _she thought, sadly. She was with Noah. Sobering a bit, she found that fact made her even angrier, that Noah had to be sweet and caring, and… _human_. Just like her.

Noah wasn't like the stories and rumors she had heard as a freshman. Really, he just liked to sleep around a lot. He was a teenage boy, and the girls certainly didn't have a problem with it, when they were with him. But everyone needs someone to blame: while morality is big with high school students, virtue is a more abstract; it's easier to understand _who_ is wrong, rather that _what_ is right.

Was it right to interfere in their love triangle, if she had a vested interest? Ironically, this had to be the _one_ time when Kitty's actions with her classmates were for something other than apathetic mayhem and overall disinterest in her classmates.

This was the first time she was _trying_ to the right thing, and only that. For Marley's sake.

And it was so _fucking_ hard. Kitty let out a sigh. Interfering was like leaving Orin with the mask on; it wasn't Seymour's doing, as it was not Kitty who created this over- wrought drama. If she just was her bitchy image here at school, this thing would implode; the people who cared thought Kitty was manipulative, she wouldn't be doing anything different. Hell, why should she have to explain to others about herself for the convenience of others?

The sound of the door opening startled Kitty, managing to stifle an undignified yelp, as Jake and Ryder entered carrying a white box, open at both the top and bottom, into the room.

Someone was testing her, right? That was the only explanation for these infuriating circumstances.

The two boys set the box down near the band's section, and started when they noticed the blond in the room.

"Kitty? What are you doing here?" Jake seemed suspicious, Ryder, curious. Kitty didn't answer, a tinkling piano intro playing in her head, a glance to the one in the room confirmed this; it was shut and untouched.

Under her breath, Kitty sung spoke her piece.

"_Now, do it now. Just a flicker of pressure right here,"_ she stared as Jake and Ryder exchanged looks, _"right here on the trigger. _ _Now, for the girl, now, for the plant. Now, yes I will._ Kitty's breath caught in her throat.

"But I can't" Kitty faltered, and Jake squinted at her.

"You can't? You can't what?" Jake's badgering angered her, and helped end the paralysis. Kitty thought quickly.

"I can't _stand_ you two twits." Jake sighed and Ryder rolled his eyes. "What's with the box, thing one and thing two?" Kitty pointed to the reinforced cardboard.

"It's for Brittany's performance today. She asked us to set it up." Jake gave Ryder a side long look, as if telling Kitty what they were up to was revealing a great secret.

"What, is she going to mail herself back to her home planet?"

"You still haven't told us what you're doing here."

"Isn't it obvious, Puckerman?" The boy stared. "I'm practicing. I have my performance today, too." Jake gazed warily at her, but seem too accept this explanation.

"Don't you have classes?" Ryder pointed out.

"Your point being….?" Kitty quirked an eyebrow at him, a smirk forming on her lips. Ryder shrugged, not caring about the teasing tone.

Jake seemed incensed, though. "The _point_ is that I don't trust you here all alone in the choir room."

"Should I care about your trust, _Grandmaster Feinstein_?" Kitty knew Jake's mixed race was a touchy issue, although why, she couldn't fathom. Who cared what Fat Albert and the Gang thought (that was nickname she gave to the students who routinely teased Jake, none of them were fat, but at varying sizes and one holding a basketball, inside for some perplexing reason, the comparison was apt); Jake was a 'stud' or what was considered one in their high school, which was why Kitty first attached herself to him starting sophomore year, just to see if she could, and most others would consider him at the top of the social food chain; and it couldn't be sensitivity about his mother- everyone knew, or at least decided that 'Papa Puckerman' (that was the nickname others had given the brothers' father, not Kitty herself) was the bad guy, abdicating his responsibilities with gusto.

A snort from Ryder's direction caused Jake to round on him, who resumed the suppression of his laughter. Kitty smiled, a genuine smile; most people just found her jokes abrasive, and while Kitty used them only for humor at the expense of others, it did irk her that she couldn't poke fun without it being personal.

"Shut _up."_ Ryder frowned.

"I didn't say anything."

"You laughed."

"It's a joke. That's the general procedure to follow when one is made. You laugh." Jake nodded, and raised his eyebrows in a condescending fashion.

"So, we can just start cracking jokes about anything, huh? Like how you can't get through 'See Spot Run' without someone helping you? Or that your idea of idea of classic reading is a restaurant menu? Like that?"

Ryder smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Yet the boy tried to be placating. "Well yeah, except that last one didn't make much sense, more like my idea of _heavy reading_ is a restaurant menu, that would have been better."

_You have to stop this._ Kitty, realizing she had been completely forgotten, was startled by the man's voice, slightly high pitched, and a nasal whine to it. Learning from her past encounter with Audrey Jr, Kitty stayed silent and did not turn to address Seymour, his visage appearing in the corner of her eye.

_This isn't about me._ Kitty saw the bespectacled man glance at the instigating Jake and pacifying Ryder.

_You started it._ Kitty rolled her eyes. _What are we, five?_ Seymour tried his best to look menacing, glaring at her. It didn't work. _You can stop this. You should. It isn't right. _Kitty shifted from one foot to the next, this was becoming uncomfortable.

_I'm not a peace mediator._

_Do you really want to give in to this?_

_I'm taking crap from a guy who let someone suffocate, and then fed him to a plant?! _

_Learn from my mistakes._

_Maybe I want to make my own._

_At this point they won't be yours to make. _Ryder was beginning to lose patience. Dyslexia had led him to learn to be patient, but Jake was not letting up. Kitty sighed.

"Lay off him, Puckerman, it was just a joke, and it was _mine_. I shouldn't have said it and I'm sorry. Can you quit being an asshole now, or at least focus on the real target." Jake turned to her, frowning. He reached out, and pressed the back of his hand to Kitty's forehead.

"You feeling alright Kitty?" She slapped his hand away.

"Very funny, Puckerman"

"No, I'm serious. First you actually participate in that Berry girl's musical week, you haven't tried anything all week, and now you're taking the blame for something. Are you dying?" He was half serious on the last part.

"I'm just taking credit for my handiwork. That dig is mine, not Ryder's. Learn to recognize." Kitty didn't sound so convincing, and Seymour's form alongside her was distracting. "So, she said changing the subject. "how much longer till glee club?" Ryder checked his watch.

"It's one thirty, so, about an hour or so. Jake and I had a free period, so Brittany roped us into bringing this box here." Ryder elaborated. Kitty looked at the cube.

"Both of you needed to bring it?"

"It's cardboard on the outside, but wooden on the inside," Jake pointed to where the cardboard had been glued to what looked like a grubby plank.

"The fuck is that girl planning?" Kitty asked rhetorically; it was better to avoid the 'beautiful mind' of Brittany S. Pierce.

"Search me, whatever it is, it's sure to be good, she's got a lot of the Cheerios as backup dancers and singers." Kitty made a face at Ryder.

"That makes it good?" Ryder nodded.

"It means Brittany actually put some planning into this, and you remember the whole downward spiral deal, right? When Brittany bitch- slapped that kid with the camera with an umbrella? That whole thing was planned by her, so she could make a comeback." Kitty stared.

"So she orchestrated a meltdown to rise to the top of a high school glee club. That's…. invested."

"I think it was more about getting over Santana and not graduating." Kitty nodded sagely. She could understand needing to get over people.

"I've got to get to English tutoring," Ryder said, after a comfortable silence between them. Jake shifted uneasily, reminded of his earlier outburst. He hadn't yet apologized. He stopped Ryder.

"Listen. I'm-" Ryder cut him off.

"It's cool. No need to dredge up the past, even if it's, like, five minutes ago, right?" Ryder grinned. Jake nodded.

"See you guys in an hour." Jake and Kitty watched him go, suddenly aware of being alone.

"Guess I should go too," Jake began edging towards the door.

"You haven't got a class now." Kitty protested.

"Kitty…," Jake began. Kitty stared pointedly.

"What, you're gonna blow your _rape_ whistle? I just want to hang out, and not sit in a empty classroom by myself for an hour." Jake looked conflicted, but ultimately walked away from the entrance.

Kitty, liked to be alone, actually, even if she had nothing to do. But it bothered her that Jake thought she was up to something even after she was dating his brother, and by his own admittance, hadn't tried anything for the week. It hadn't been lost on Kitty what anything implied: pursuing Jake.

Sitting in her usual spot, to the left and towards the back of the room, and patted the seat next to her. She smiled as sweetly as she could. Again Jake gazed warily at her, but took the seat.

"So… Kitty began, but didn't have anything to say. Even when dating, Kitty didn't talk much, and listened less. She was trying to rectify that now, or at least establish the difference between being in a relationship and just… vague associates. Friendship was foreign to Kitty, or at the least in the way it was portrayed in society. To her, a friend was more loyal than even a lover, because that sort of fidelity in a romantic relationship was not possible: you bore the other's children, you stayed fateful, but you didn't have to be as tolerant as a friend would. That tolerance was what Kitty found hard to grasp, not in practice but in principle; no one seemed to have that level of regard for anyone, and Kitty never felt the need to be so attached. So she wasn't.

Jake had been staring at the floor for about five minutes, obviously hoping Kitty would take the lead. After awhile, he decided to broach a subject.

"So how's my brother?" Kitty's quirked eyebrow and the replay of that question back in his mind told him how odd that question sounded, so he clarified. "I mean, are you two still dating, or what?" Kitty was going tease him and ask if he was jealous, playfully, of course, but decided against it; she had already asked the boy to stay when he didn't want to and sit close despite his reservations, the least she could do was not push the envelope any farther.

"Yeah, pretty much. He's busy with his screenplay, so we don't really see much of each other, but it's good. No high school drama is nice, you know? Jake nodded. Kitty wondered if asking about Marley was a step too far, either for Jake or for her in the answer she would receive. If she didn't risk it, she would be irked for the rest of the day, and Kitty would like to preserve what little sanity she had left.

"You and Marley?" Jake glanced at her.

"We're good." Wanting to be as personable as Kitty was, Jake elaborated. "We're taking things slow, no reason to rush things." Kitty's mind went back to Quinn's comment about Jake and Marley leaving the hotel room for the general reception. She nodded, careful not too agree too eagerly.

Both looked up as it seemed that a large crowd had approached the choir room. The door opened to reveal Brittany, and a wide mix of students, and it took Kitty a second to realize they were all Cheerios, as Ryder had said, because they were out of uniform, and their hair was down. Seeing the two in the room, Brittany waved, unnecessarily, at them. They responded awkwardly, while the plain clothes cheerleaders formed a semi circle behind her, and stared at them.

Kitty wasn't well liked among the squad. She was respected, because of her skill, but after the last generation of Cheerio had graduated, this generation had no patience for her bitchiness and general malaise. It was why she had to recruit two football players to be in her entourage at the beginning of the school year, rather than forming the 'unholy trinity' of generations past. In recent months, she had no idea where they went, and was only fleetingly curious.

As such, the girls merely waited for Brittany to give them their cue.

"Thanks, Jake," said Brittany referring to the box. Bereft of all talking points with Jake, Kitty asked about it.

"It's a prop for my number; we came in a few minutes early to prepare." It was a surprisingly cogent response, for Brittany anyway.

"Why would you need a prop?"

"What else would we crawl through?" Brittany asked incredulously. Kitty thought it pointless to answer.

Besides, glee club was beginning. A few members began to trickle in, Marley being one of them, stopping to talk to a few of the Cheerios stationed at the door. Unlike Rachel, this songstress was well liked, or at least friendly with the cheerleaders of McKinley, Kitty being the exception. Kitty turned away as the thought of Marley in a Cheerio uniform forced itself into her mind. Shutting her eyes to avoid picturing alabaster thighs in a skirt _way_ too short for high school, she was startled when Jake tapped her shoulder.

Glancing at the boy, she saw Marley next to him, small, delicate (_stop it, Kitty!_) hand cupped and paused mid wave. Kitty nodded in the girl's direction, and funneled her sexual frustration into looking apathetic. Marley took a seat next to Jake, and Kitty felt odd next to them, but if she changed seats now, she would look odd; the room was filling up rather fast and although spare chairs were available, they were off and to the side, too far for Kitty not to stand out, and not in a good way.

Finally, Finn entered, tailed by Rachel, with Santana and Mr. Shuester entering at nearly the same time, Santana slightly earlier and a little bit faster than the teacher, who seemed to take a deep breath in order to fill himself, and stand up straighter. Kitty wondered if everyone else noticed the five o' clock shadow on his face. Clapping his hands to together, a bit too loud, he began the meeting.

"Okay, so we have a few more selections to see, let's get to it. Without further ado, Rachel would you start us off?"

Kitty figured Mr. Shuester's pointless introduction was just to show he wasn't completely devastated. Rachel stood, and looked to Marley.

"Did you pick a selection?" Kitty noticed Marley look at Santana, and her eyes narrowed in suspicion when she saw Santana nod, as if encouraging the younger girl. With a determined look on her face, Marley turned back to the front.

"Well, I thought I would do 'Sominex', also from Little Shop of Horrors. It's only in the play version, so I thought it would be great."

"No!" Kitty froze. Everyone in the choir room turned to look at her, Santana especially, glee (no pun intended) flickering in her eyes.

"Why not," asked Rachel, a little too innocently for Kitty's taste; she was in on whatever Santana planned. Kitty backpedaled.

"It's- it's just so dark and unhappy."

"Isn't 'Somewhere That's Green' unhappy too?" Marley responded.

"In the play, only the second, reprised version besides is sad. Besides it's not nihilistic like 'Sominex'. The alternate title is 'Suppertime', I mean isn't glee club supposed to be _uplifting_? How positive is a song about being fed to an evil plant?"

"Well, Mr. Shuester interjected, "that's true, but it's also about expressing yourself. So I think Marley should sing the song."

_You rat bastard, _Kitty thought venomously. Marley smiled triumphantly and gazed at Kitty intently, looking for someth-

_Son of a bitch. _Kitty's eyes widened. "Marley? Can I talk to you outside for a minute?"

"But we've already started," Rachel protested.

"Well, Brittany wants to go first and she needs time to prepare, isn't that right Brittany?" Brittany nodded, blinking and motioned for the gaggle of Cheerios to come with her, to change into their costumes. Kitty gave a satisfied smirk when she saw Rachel's eye twitch at the mention of 'costumes'.

Pulling Marley towards the hallway, careful not to do so by her hand; she already had a small pleasurable knot forming in her lower stomach, no need to aggravate it further and followed the cheerleaders out into the hall waiting for them to dissipate to the locker room and restrooms. Kitty spoke first.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Kitty wasn't angry, she was hurt. Even if Marley didn't understand, she should be more loyal to her class and not the returning rejects.

"Singing." She said, deadpanning.

"Don't screw with me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Bullshit" Marley glared.

"No, what's 'bullshit' is you acting weird all week, and not talking about it. I want to know what's going on."

"I'm being nice. I thought that's what you people wanted."

"_My people_ don't want anything," Marley said with a tone of derision. "I want to sing a song, and you have a problem with it, but you won't talk with me."

"The song makes me sad, okay."

"Why?"

"What the hell do you mean, why?"

"It's just a song."

"Where two people madly in love with each other never get to spend their lives together because of a fucking plant." Kitty swallowed hard, but her voice broke right at the end of the sentence.

"Kitty…." Marley reached out a hand, but Kitty pulled away, angry tears beginning to fall.

"You've been talking to that bitch Santana, haven't you?"

"She seems to think…" Marley trailed off.

"She thinks _what_?" Marley paused, looking at the watery eyed girl.

"That maybe you might have certain feelings… for m-me" Kitty tried a laugh of derision, but instead coughed on the thickness of her throat that had built up because of her crying. Obviously there was no point in denying it now; her tears were her confession.

"And….?

"Why didn't you tell me? I think I have a right to know."

"You have a right to _nothing_! I merely put it into your _soft_ _little_ _head_ that you were too fat and you believed me, you got a fucking eating disorder, Marley! And I'm supposed to trust that you can handle _my_ feelings, if I had any!" Marley frowned.

"You think I can't make my own decisions?" Marley's voice was quiet. Then she looked straight in Kitty's eye. "What do you think I am?"

"When you're with Jake?" Marley kept the gaze, but said nothing. Kitty answered her own question.

"_Happy_."


	7. Coda

Dabbing furiously at her cheeks to remove the rapidly cooling tears, and the feeling of shame that went along with them, Kitty blinked away the fuzziness caused by those still in her eyes. Marley's face came into view, mouth open just a little.

This was not what Marley had intended.

She had gone to see Rachel for help on making a song selection. Musicals were harder to choose from, and she wanted one that would prove to the graduate she could handle being a leader in glee club. Figuring that the diva would spend her time in the library, her hypothesis proved correct, although with an addition: Santana. Deciding not to interrupt their conversation, Marley hung back, listening, although only to know when to make her entrance.

"It was creepy, Berry"

"I'm sure it was just a practical joke to get you to back off."

"Kitty didn't even see me; how could she know I would be there?"

Something was wrong with Kitty.

"Well it can't be what you're suggesting."

"Let me get this straight, _Rachel Berry_, Broadway- bound who never let anyone forget it is telling me that no one can get so into a performance that they lose it?"

"What your suggesting is borderline urban myth"

"So stuff like this has some context?"

"Sure. Musicians who seem to have made deals with the devil. Actors who started to behave so much like their roles; they met similar, _unfortunate_ fates. Stuff like that. But, _really_ Santana. Its just legends and ghost stories. Besides, what you've told me, if anything, is a psychotic break."

Marley was sufficiently disturbed now.

"What, all work and no play make Kitty a dull girl?" Rachel laughed.

"Something like that. It's as Kitty said: unresolved psychic drama. She's working through some stuff, and talking to imaginary plants helps.

"Yeah, but Somewhere that's Green is from Little Shop of Horrors."

"I'm aware." Rachel responded, with a bit of sarcasm.

"Are you aware that the imaginary plant is Aubrey Junior? The one that wants Rick Moranis's character to _kill_ people to feed it?

"I don't think Kitty's going to commit homicides, Santana."

"We don't know this girl, okay? She could be, like, some sociopath, some serial killer no one's ever heard of."

"Or a young girl trying to figure out her feelings. Remember, Shop of Horrors is a love story at its heart, and you did say you thought…. You know. Though I don't give much credence to 'gay-dar.'

Marley bit her lip to keep from gasping in surprise. They thought Kitty was gay?

"Yeah well, something tells me that with a few drinks in her, she'd be batting for the other team.

"Yes, yes. Everyone gets you have a wide repertoire of euphemisms for homosexuality," Rachel said, placating.

"So what do we do?" There was a pause, than Rachel responded.

"About what, exactly?"

"About crazy Kitty."

"There's nothing we can do. Kitty's entitled to her privacy."

"Not when it screws around with glee club."

"She's been great all week. Participating, nice, calm."

"It's a ploy."

"You're being ridiculous. Promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"Or else what?" It was more playful than confrontational.

"What was it you always said? I'll go all _Lima Heights adjacent_ on you."

"_Hilarious_, Berry. But what about Puck? Huh? If I'm right, he might get hurt."

"He's a big boy. I'm sure he can take care of himself."

"He's not as tough as you think. Besides, he's put a lot into this girl."

"I'll bet."

"Screw you, Berry." This time, there was an edge.

"I'm sorry Santana, but I don't see Kitty as a threat. Maybe you're right about her questioning, maybe. That doesn't mean everything is going to hell."

"If I could just figure out who she is into…."

"Who says she has a particular individual in mind. Rachel paused. "Did you, when you first realized?" Rachel lowered her voice as she spoke, and for a few minutes, quiet was all Marley heard.

"Always Brittany. Always her." Santana spoke, but the quiet seemed to flow through her words, like a bubble in a bottle of water; not broken, just pushed alongside. "And, when you realize, it's always someone, not something. You don't just look at a copy of sports illustrated and see Kate Upton in a thong and go 'oh, wow, I like girls'. It's not like that. Because it's about wanting to be with someone, like it is with anyone else. Your feelings are not on and off, they're person to person."

"So, who's Kitty's person?" Santana thought better of what she was about to say, but had to tell her suspicion to someone.

"I think its Marley." The girl in question faltered, managing to catch herself, but not without banging the bookshelf and alerting the women to her presence.

Santana rounded the corner, ready to bitch out the offending party, but lost her scowl when she saw Marley staring in shock.

"Um, hey. Marley, what a- what are you doing here?"

"I need help with my song for glee club," Marley managed to squeak out. Rachel turned the bend next, and swallowed seeing their topic of conversation with a face that very much indicated that she had heard everything.

The three shared an awkward silence, until Marley managed to pull a few pages out of a notebook, and hand them to Rachel.

"I-I can't decide which song to pick. I was thinking something from A-_Across the Universe_, the movie, not the Beatles album, since it's a musical, or at least presents the form."

"Well, yes, they would qualify, especially _I Want to Hold Your Hand_, because the tempo is changed in the film, and it's a more original interpretation than the others in the scenes."

"Seriously? We're just gonna stand here and not talk about what just happened?"

"Santana!" Rachel hissed.

"Actually, I'd like to know what's going on", Marley said quietly. Santana looked at Rachel, who frowned but beckoned the youngest brunette to the couch on which they were sitting, Santana taking a seat on a work desk a foot away.

"Santana seems to think, that, well, you see-

"Kitty is _so_ gay but she can't tell anyone" Santana interjected, frustrated with Rachel's sudden inability to talk.

"Santana…." Rachel began warningly. Marley looked conflicted.

"Listen, Marley, we think-"

"There is no we, Santana, only you, and your theories." Santana rolled her eyes.

"Fine then. We'll call an expert." Rachel scrunched her face.

"Who?" asked Marley. Santana smiled and pulled out her phone. After a bit of typing and waiting, Santana pulled out the kickstand and set the device on the table, revealing the bright face of who Marley recognized as Quinn Fabray, apparently using the video chat function.

"The one person who can tell us all about crazy blond bitches, mainly because she was one."

"Thank you for that introduction, S." Santana grinned, positioning herself so that she was in Quinn's line of sight.

"Anytime, Q." The image on screen looked to the heavens, and then at the assembled group before her.

"Exactly what is the problem? The text from S isn't very clear." Rachel looked accusingly at Santana, who looked back in disinterest.

"What did she write?" Quinn cleared her throat.

"In a note, that I've unfortunately and against my will committed to memory, 'need to v-chat ASAP. Royal bitch emergency. Come quickly Lassie. Good girl.' So what's this 'royal bitch' of an emergency?"

"No, Q. You misunderstand. We have an emergency _with_ a royal bitch. Namely Miss Bitch Fantastico." Quinn frowned.

"Kitty, _again_?" Quinn looked exasperated, whether with Kitty's antics or with being the one Santana called, Marley wasn't sure.

"You're damn right it's Kitty again."

"What did she do?"

"She's being specious," Rachel responded. Quinn's face filled the entire screen.

"Huh?" asked the confused women.

"Specious, seemingly true, but in reality fal-

"I know what specious means, Rachel. I mean, what are you talking about?"

"The bitch has gone all Bates Motel on us, Q. She's talking to plants, she's being nice-

"Remember Santana; _imaginary_ plants," chided Rachel, grinning at Santana's glare, and Quinn's further confusion.

"Seriously, I have no clue what's going on here, and I have to get ready for a class, so…

"May I say something?" Santana and Rachel stopped in their next exchange and looked at a nervous Marley between them. Quinn smiled, in her best imitation of what a kind and compassionate adult. Last time she was at McKinley, telecommuting or otherwise, she had ignored the brunette. True, she wasn't assigned to be her mentor, but her defiant defense of Kitty had done a large amount of damage, not only costing sectionals, but allowing Marley's disorder to go undetectable, all but claiming that it was guy trouble. Hearing herself then, she could not imagine saying anything that was at the same time incredibly misogynistic and stereotypically man- hating in one breath.

"Of course you can. You two, Quinn backed up and pointed in the general directions of Santana and Rachel, "zip it."

Marley swallowed. "Well, Santana seems to think that Kitty is…." Marley attempted to recall what the LBTGQ plantlet had said, than blinked at her own stupidity. _Q stands for questioning, Marley. _ "_Questioning_…. her sexuality."

"Really Santana? You call me during my only break in classes because Kitty _might_ like girls? That's a problem now?"

"It is when she's acting all Psycho about it. Rachel thinks-"

"This is a complete waste of time."

"-that Kitty may be acting out her feelings through the musical she selected for glee club." Quinn despite herself was curious.

"Which is?"

"_Little Shop of Horrors_." Quinn quirked an eyebrow. To Marley, it was spookily similar to Kitty's facial expression."

"So how do evil space plants translate to _The L Word?_"

"She knows what I think, and she hasn't denied it yet."

"She just told you to get over yourself" Rachel commented. Quinn laughed. Santana shook her fist at the brunette.

"Okay, I've got to get to class. So, here's my idea. Based on my Gen Psych and developmental Psych courses, all six credits worth, you should play Kitty's game. She's using Horrors as a way to resolve this, and you want to force her hand? Pick a song that gets a visceral response. All you have to do is figure out who's who in this delusion of what I hope is her and not yours, and then challenge its foundations. Santana smirked.

"Song? Like what, if your gay and you can't deal with it, clap your hands?"

Rachel scoffed. "That's all we have to do? Gee, why didn't you say so in the first place?"

"Yeah, Q. How exactly do we do that?"

"Sorry, that's what you learn in Experimental Psych, which is five credits and a thesis course, so even if I was to take it, it would be a ways off. You're on your own."

Santana sunk in her seat. "Thanks, Q" she said dejectedly.

"Um, could I speak to Rachel?" Santana gestured toward the other brunette, indicating _go ahead_.

"Alone, please." Santana held Quinn's gaze for a moment, until Santana blinked and plucked the phone from its spot on the table, shut off the video function and handed it to Rachel, who answered it and walked away, to a nearby shelf for privacy. Santana stared after her, and Marley thought better than to question the older woman's interest.

After a beat, Santana looked down at Marley. Remembering what they were there for, she shook herself from her stupor and took a deep breath, exhaling in a sigh.

"Okay. So, Kitty is acting out a version of Little Shop of Horrors." Marley nodded. Then a thought occurred to her.

"Movie version or play version?" Santana stared owlishly at her charge.

"There's a difference?"

"Yes," Said Rachel, returning from her phone call, and handed back a phone with a call ended display on its front. "Quinn said to say goodbye, and good luck."

"What did you guys talk about?" Rachel looked at the floor, and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Just to apologize about not being friendlier at the wedding, catching up and the like."

"That's all?"

"Yes, Santana, that's all. Now, as I was saying, it makes a difference which iteration she's using. The ending of the stage version is much different than the film version." Marley nodded, again

"The stage version ends with both Seymour and Audrey getting eaten. The movie version has Seymour killing the plant and Audrey live happily ever after… except with creepy baby plant thing in the garden." Rachel laughed.

"So one's with the plant scarfing them down like snack cakes and then ends."

"No, the stage version ends with the plants taking over Earth, spread from cuttings of the original." Marley continued.

"People buy them up and it spreads everywhere. But I don't think that's the version Kitty's using. It's older and more about politics and greed than the movie version, which is more personal."

"I agree with Marley, the film was in circulation on television when Kitty was in diapers, but probably that's where she saw it, most likely."

"So how do we challenge that perception, or whatever Q said to do."

"I believe we have our answer, actually." Rachel remarked.

"How's that, Berry?" Marley brightened.

"Because the stage version contradicts the movie version. So we pick a song that's in the stage ending, but not the movie."

"And, Rachel continued, "thanks to my encyclopedic knowledge of musicals, which you have denigrated in the past, I know there is only one song in that category: Sominex/Suppertime."

The trio made plans to have Marley select that number for her intro, with neither Santana or Rachel letting on that they were privy to this decision.

Marley had let herself get carried away in Santana's schemes and Rachel's enthusiasm for musical battle, or something; Marley couldn't remember.

Now that Kitty was standing there, puffy face and red eyes, Marley really wished she could. It might dent the sneaking suspicion she had that this episode had proven Kitty's point.

Trying to get back some moral ground, and hear something else besides the incredibly guilt inducing sniffles of the shorter girl, she struggled for words.

"I'm not as happy as you might think, Kitty." The uniformed girl sniffled louder, as if disturbed this.

"What happened?" Kitty's voice still had a watery pique to it, but it was beginning to dissipate. Glancing in back of her to make sure no one else heard.

"Promise not to tell?" even as Kitty 'felt' presence of Audrey Jr. Kitty nodded. The plant crossed two vines in back of Kitty, as did the girl with her fingers. "Of course."

"Ryder kissed me." _Of course he did. _

"Sweetie, Kitty began with a condescending tone, "he kissed you and you what? Screamed rape? Ran crying all the way home?" Marley glared.

"I kissed him back, alright? Besides the point is I don't know exactly what I want. So you're not doing me any favors. This is all a big martyr act." Marley was angry. A rare event, but when she needed to, the brunette could muster disgust, betrayal and hurt into a little ball that motivated her to belie her accommodating nature and push back. It was decidedly based on need; she didn't like making enemies or fighting, it wasn't satisfying and Marley almost always ended up crying.

"_Martyr act_?" Kitty was incredulous; it seemed to be happening a lot lately.

"Yes. You're the only person who can turn unpleasant feelings into some sort of-of big savior responsibility that makes everyone a burden. I'm not a burden. _We_ are not a burden. You want to spin your feelings into something more manageable if you want, but you are just like me: trying to figure things out. You're not better or special; you're afraid of liking me. That's it."

"Do you?"

"What?"

"Like me like I you." Marley hadn't thought about that. Honestly, the whole standing on principle and not being lied to had obscured that question. It was a very important question.

"So… you admit it?" Marley hadn't expected that either.

"To you, yes; to prove a point: there are certain things you shouldn't know about because it's a great big mind fuck. I mean look at us, you came up with this whole scheme with Thelma and Louise in there, and now you don't know what to do, and you're left holding the bag, just like with Ryder. You even feel guilty, even though _he_ kissed _you_, right?" Marley blinked, conceding to Kitty. "You are so predictable. It is too easy to mess with you." Marley didn't have anything else to say her mind was racing, but with a goal in mind.

"I could."

"Don't lie."

"I'm not."

"I've been awful to you."

"I said I could, not that I do." Kitty smirked.

"What a copout. Just admit it- you hate my guts and that knowing any more than you did before is a pain in the ass."

"I could have, Kitty." Kitty's smirk lost most of its shape, but she managed to keep the rest of her face neutral.

"Oh, come on, give it a rest. You're not gay."

"Are you?" Kitty huffed.

"That's not the point."

"You're not. So it's just me than." Kitty hated the way Marley sounded touched by this.

"Say it."

"It's not the truth." Kitty's eyes began to well up. "We should get back to class; Brittany and the Cheerios are coming back this way. Kitty realized it was a warning to dry her eyes before people could ask questions. Pretending to rub her eyes, she pinched them and allowed a few tears to drip out, wiping them away and took a few deep breaths to calm the muscles at the back of her throat, swallowing as a test, trusting her voice to break, she glared at the brunette, and tried to look bored at the same time.

"Fine. Be that way. I know I'm right." Brittany and company came near the door and the former cast a curious look at the two girls.

"All done?" Brittany's monotonous voice betrayed nothing. If she knew what was up, she didn't let on.

"Yeah, Britt, we're coming in right now." The older blond bounced into the choir room followed by her back up and Marley turned back to Kitty.

"Are you going to be all right for the rest of the glee club?" Kitty rolled her neck, but didn't get the satisfying crack of tendons popping.

"I'm fine. You're the one who can't admit a feeling just because it doesn't make you seem like the nicest human being in the world." Kitty turned on her heel and walked into the room.

Marley followed, tired and despondent.

Santana neared her, eyebrows raised in curiosity. Marley held up her hand. "Let's just sing the song, please. I don't want to talk about it." Marley really wasn't in the mood. But she also didn't need to further Kitty's high horse, either. Santana looked reluctant but let it be. Rachel sat, her curiosity tempered by the assurance that Brittany's performance was going to be a disaster.

The entire troupes, including Brittany, were dressed in a shapeless, burlap sort of costume. Crawling under the band's section, inside the box she had had Jake and Ryder bring up earlier. The band started up with a piano jazz intro, and Brittany crawled out, and onto center stage.

"_I'm just a prom night dumpster baby." _Rachel put her head in her hands. "Cheer up, Berry. It could be worse," plied Santana.

"_How?_"

"I talked her out of a one woman performance of _Trapped in the Closet_. Rachel groaned.

"_Ain't got no mom or dad." _Marley was glad that Rachel and Santana were distracted. Jake, not so much.

"What was that all about?" he questioned low enough so that Kitty couldn't hear, or at least she didn't let on.

"Kitty was upset I was doing the same musical as her, that's all."

"So? A lot of the guys did _American Idiot_."

"You know girls, can't copy one another." Jake stared at her. "Like, dresses and clothes." Jake nodded.

"_And though I came from a hole." _Rachel cringed and the rest of the Cheerios, emerged to provide their back up harmony.

"_And though she came from a hole… _Kitty watched Marley out of the corner of her eye, sitting slightly sideways daring not to turn her head, feeling a bit like that guy from _Person of Interest_.

"_I'm singing straight from the soul"_ At this cue, Brittany tossed off her sack-dress, to reveal the diaper- pasty creation that served as a bottom, and pink shirt that barely made it past her breasts. After repeating the line in the second person, the other Cheerios did the same. Rachel's jaw dropped. Jake, staring at the ceiling, grabbed for Marley's hand. Marley took his in hers, and quilted by his determination not to ogle, patted his shoulder. "It's okay. You can look, Jake." Marley gave a laugh, but it died quickly. Kitty rolled her eyes.

"After looking there, you might want to look for your _balls_." Marley stared blearily and Jake dismissively.

"_My fanny needs a blanket and somebody to spank it" _At this the Cheerios lined up and slapped the ass of the girl in front of them, the resultant sound like a deck of being flipped through. Turning to Sam, and gesturing to Rachel, Santana whispered, "I think she's having a stroke." Sam glanced at the brunette below them with concern.

"_I want my Mom," _Brittany wailed.The chorus in back answered _"But she's at the Prom"_

Kitty had a wide grin on her face, as did Santana and Sam, Jake kept glancing at Marley, who stared unseeing, her mind bouncing between Jake, Ryder, and, she reluctantly admitted, Kitty. Brittany began to wrap up the number. Repeating the intro line with gusto, strutting in a burlesque manner, she started the outré.

"_And I'm taking a stroll"_

"_She's taking a stroll"_

"_I'm taking a stroll"_

"_She's taking a stroll"_

"_I'm-I'm-I'm taking a stroll"_

"_She's taking a stroll"_

"_I'm taking a stroll"_

Brittany led the girls back into the crate, under the band section once more, as the horn section died down and the piano sounded a few concluding notes.

_Bum-Bum, Bad a-Bum._

A/N: okay, so a coda is essentially an intermission summary, and this chapter wraps up the story to the beginning of chapter six, coming full circle. The next chapter will feature Rachel, Santana and Marley performing Sominex/Suppertime, and Kitty Somewhere That's Green. The Faberry in this chapter is very, very light, but it's heavily implied that Quinn wanted to do more than apologize. What exactly will be revealed in the chapter after next, also featuring a drunk Will, and will include the events of (Girls and Boys) on Film (Will drinking because he feels betrayed.) as context. The support and viewer ship have been great, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and the ones after. Until then ~LoungeLizard 


	8. The worse (We treat each other)

A/N: okay here's the conclusion for Friday (the story, that still has a ways to go) In response to Twinlily555, this story came into my head after watching Herbert of _Family Guy _sing _Somewhere That's Green. _Granted to an underage teen he wanted to molest, but the idea was nice. I thought it would be good as a Faberry, but never got around to it, and with Kitty and Marley in the picture, I thought they would be a good fit, as Quinn might be too metropolitan in the show. In order to extend it, I basically used the template from when Glee did Rocky Horror, but with one character and something of a _Herman's Head _meets _Eli Stone _sort of deal. Now, addressing the confusion: my fault, I shouldn't have made the narrative so contorted, I apologize. It's basically Kitty recounting her day, arguing with Marley, than Marley recounting the plan she made with Santana and Rachel, and finally continuing forward. I doesn't work with third person, really, and again I'm sorry. Anyway without further ado, I present chapter eight:

Kitty's ersatz grin left her face too quickly; she knew if anyone had been paying attention, they would see through her, even without context.

After Brittany and the Cheerios left the band section turned impromptu stage set, the cheerleaders put back on their sack costumes for modesty and left to go change in the bathroom, a few giving a wave to Brittany, who returned it enthusiastically, as she sat back down next to Sam, resting on her thighs, leaning forward in anticipation for the next performance.

"Uh, Brittany, babe, don't you think you should, you know, put your clothes back on?" Sam asked, apparently aware of the irony of his asking her to put clothes _on_.

"But then I'll miss the songs, and I want to see Marley." Marley wasn't sure why she blushed as ferociously as she did, but decided to chalk it up to the heads that whipped around to stare at her at the mention of her name.

"She'd wait, wouldn't you Marley?" Santana looked pointedly at the girl, who nodded after a moment's pause. It was a bit like watching a bunch of strangers trying to cajole an angry child. However, Brittany replied calmly, and pointed to the clock.

"We only have fifteen minutes left, and Monday's already filled; after that we have to do other songs, and I wanna hear _these_." Kitty threw up her hands.

"Can we just get on with it, please?! Is there really any difference between what she has on _now _and a Cheerios uniform besides two inches of _flimsy_ material? And its Brittany, half the glee club has, hell, half the _school_ has seen and _done_ a lot more!" Santana glared.

"Back off, bitch."

"Bite me, _Speedy Gonzalez_." Santana began to take off her earrings, as Kitty stood threateningly.

"Okay, enough," Finn interjected. "Let's just sing the last two songs and call it day, right Mr. Shue?" Apparently the teacher hadn't been paying attention, staring off forlornly, and looked up distracted, blinking blankly.

"Um, sure," Marley stood determinedly.

"You're right. Santana and Rachel?" Santana turned slowly, keeping her eyes on Kitty for as long as possible. Joining Marley on either side of her, the older women took their spots in reference to the lead and Marley handed out sheet music to the pianist and horn section, returning to the piano, opposite of the glee club.

Looking past Santana's directed scowl and Rachel's stage face, at Marley, Kitty silently dared her to sing the song. The brunette gazed back, sadly. Marley didn't want to sing the song but saw no out; she would have to explain why she didn't want to and Kitty would likely leave her under the guise of stoic silence. A bit of anger surged then, and she nodded to the pianist who cracked his knuckles and began to play, the first harsh notes startling Marley and the twinkling duet of notes that formed the intro sent an energizing chill up her spine. She almost spoke the first line of the song, but caught herself.

"_He's got your number, now" _It came out husky, and cool, and Marley couldn't help but enjoy the startled rapidly blinking of the cheerleader. The twinkling continued, and Marley walked to the other side of the piano, trailing her hand along the edge. The piano vibrations gave her voice a slight tremble, making it seem as though she were singing far away, almost inside their heads.

At least that's how Kitty felt.

"_He knows just what you've done" _Marley was singing as much to herself as she was to Kitty and the glee club. Her eyes darted to Jake, who seemed enraptured by the song. "No, he doesn't," Marley whispered to herself during the interlude. A quick glance around, disguised as a twirl told her no one had heard.

"_There's no where to hide, There's no where to run. _ Kitty took a deep breath as the form of Audrey Jr. shifted beneath her chair. Slowly vines crept out and wrapped them selves around, squeezing, ensnaring. Keeping still became impossible, and the blond shifted in her seat, to see if she even could. When she looked again the vines and the plant were gone.

"_He knows your life of crime" _Marley focused away from Jake, trying to avoid Kitty and Ryder as well. Just a few hours ago she had been fine- well, as fine as she ever was, she felt guilty, but it was a mild, background sort of feeling, part of a general malaise that followed her. only now she realized that Jake chased that feeling away, wiped the slate clean when he was with her: she was lonely and time to wallow made those feelings stick like resin; faded, but impossible to remove completely. And she had given that up in a single moment. Marley grimaced at the fresh wave of guilt, and put her energy into mastering the melodic rise and fall of the next line.

"_I think its SUPPER time…" _Marley lowered her voice on 'time' after filling with vibrato the preceding 'Supper', and as her voice faded, Santana and Rachel started up.

"_Come on, come on, its suppertime." _ Their hauntingly voices seemed to breath, as though gaining strength and passing away, like some voyeuristic phantom, watching them, or at least that's how Kitty thought it sounded. Marley began the second part, which was more bombastic.

"_Come, come on, Think about all those offers, come, come on, think about your future, come, come on, ain't no time to be squeamish." _Marley tried desperately to get into the song, forget about the kiss with Ryder, or Kitty, even throwing a little flair into the last line, and a devilish smile.

But all that happened was Jakes laugh, Ryder's smile and Kitty's unrelenting stare. Trying harder, she began to ham it up, grinning wildly as she _swore on all her spores _and promised that _when he's gone the world will be yours_, even bowing_. _Marley blinked and stared blankly as she mulled over the many hidden meanings of that last line. Santana and Rachel began again, their breathy voices; rising from the melodic echo Marley ended her own piece on.

_Come on, come on, its suppertime _Kitty fought the urge to jump when she heard Audrey Jr.'s voice in her ear.

_Their playing my song, _it said with a chuckle. Kitty gave an involuntary shudder. Jake glanced at her, and she managed to still herself until he looked away.

Looking around, she saw only the plant in her peripheral; neither manifest of Seymour or Audrey was present. She felt anxious, the murmuring harmony of Santana and Rachel not helping.

Marley had turned her back to the audience, and as her backup died down, Marley circled back around to the other side of the piano, readying for the reprise

Stepping away from the piano to better emulate a drugged (from the eponymous sleeping pill) and confused Audrey wandering alone, without support, Marley tottered, looking perplexed and darted her eyes around as if to see some invisible assailant.

In a sweet, slightly higher pitched voice than her usual vocal register, she began, and Kitty gripped her seat as Audrey Jr reared up from behind.

"_I couldn't sleep, I took a sominex, but voices in my head…. _Marley clasped her hands together, looking positively distraught. Despite herself, Kitty rolled her eyes; did Marley have to be so melodramatic, even if it was a musical. In an aside to Kitty Aubrey Jr. spoke suggestively,

_I can see why you like her- she makes for both a mean green mother and a sweet treat. You could just EAT her up, and I _don't_ mean as a late night snack. _Kitty grimaced at the suggestion, but admittedly only at the lewdness, and not the prospect. The piano's constant tinkle over the same two notes, like _Africa_ by _Toto _stuck at the interlude began to give her a headache.

"…_go to him, talk to him, I drank some tea, but gee, this feeling wasn't gone. _'Audrey' looked at the ceiling. _"What is going on?"_ Marley swung around to perform the plants lines, and Kitty didn't need to look to see her imaginary companion grin like the Cheshire cat.

"_Hello lady, Hello, You're looking cute as can be._ Marley could feel it now, the overwhelming pressure of the guilt attempting to burst from her eyes as tears and her throat as sobs. As long as she kept moving, kept up the pace, that feeling sloshed back down and couldn't overwhelm her.

"_It's your friendly Audrey two…_. The _blink-blink_ of the piano keys and seeing the pianist bent over trying to keep time, was grating on Kitty, so much that she didn't notice Audrey Jr. talking. For a moment.

_Hey, this plant is talking to you_. Kitty glanced at the antagonist. _Aw don't worry soon it will all be _over. The weed cackled at it's joke, and Kitty swallowed back the bile that rose to the back of her throat. She knew what was coming, and watching this was becoming difficult; it felt like she was soinning but without the euphoria of dizziness and instead the heaviness of dread. She noticed Marley had reached a great crescendo after asking for a drink of water, grinning lecherously as she did so, and it was an odd sight,

"_Do need no glass or ice_!

_Blink-blink-blink-blink-blink_

"_Don't need no twist of lime!"_

_Blink-blink-blink-blink-blink _Kitty kept swallowing, hopefully avoiding giving in to the urge of projectile vomiting. Her throat muscles were sore as if she wanted to cry, and the pressure, pure liquid pressure, shifting beneath the back of her throat kept shifting, forcing her to grip the edge of the seat until her knuckles turned white from the effort, just to keep the fluid at bay. Finally Marley held up her hand and the pianist stopped, looking grateful at the reprieve.

"_And now it's Suppertime!" _At that Audrey Jr. lunged forward as Marley did, jaws open wide straight at Kitty, who flinched, shutting her eyes tight, and cowering. A final flourish ended the song, and all eyes turned towards Kitty.

"Are you okay, Kitty?" she heard Mr. Shuester ask. Opening her eyes, she saw that Audrey Jr. was now beside Marley who was staring, and upon further inspection, so was the rest of the club and Finn, Rachel and Santana. The bile had receded, when the music had finished, as though fresh air had permeated the frantic and nauseating tempo. Breathing a sigh, Kitty willed herself to relax and blinked.

"Hmm?" Playing dumb was all she had left.

"Your eyes were shut, like you were scared or something," Ryder spoke up. Kitty quirked an eyebrow.

"Uh, no. What I was doing was attempting to staunch the motion sickness caused by Marley bouncing around the choir room, and torturing the poor piano player. Billy Joel must be rolling over in his grave."

"Billy Joel isn't dea- Rachel began. Kitty stopped her.

"He's rich. He bought his own grave to roll around in when something upsets him, and trust me this _travesty_ would."

Rachel glared, and Santana grabbed both of her arms, muttering, "Well, this ironic…"

"Now that have but a few precious minutes left, could I perform my piece?" Finn glanced at the clock and shrugged.

"Sure, we've got a few more minutes." Kitty was glad for Finn sometimes. He made changing the subject that much easier.

After Santana, Rachel and Marley took their seats, Kitty handed out the sheet music and prepared to fight back against the crappy way she felt.

Obviously, Marley's performance wasn't bad. It was perfect actually, managing to trigger another, extremely vivid hallucination, and even with the context of stress, fear and angst, that was no impressive feat. Rachel was still angry, Santana seemed curious for once, instead of pretending to know everything, and Marley seemed….tired. Sunk in her chair, Jake frowned at her but said nothing, likely knowing when to shut up. When Kitty looked, Marley averted her eyes, arms crossed.

Kitty wanted this to work as much for Marley as for herself. The reprise version was settling in her head, and Kitty shook it ignoring the faint return of the ache from before. That reprise led no where good, and she couldn't bear to allow her thoughts, as real as they seemed now, go to that dark place. She began, shakily, but with purpose.

The first bit of the song drifted through her mind, and she felt as beat up as Audrey was.

"_I dream of a place where we could be together at last." _She took a deep breath and continued as the piano and horns played sullenly, almost mournfully. _Stop it, _she chastised herself.

"_A matchbox of our own, a fence of real chainlink, a grill out on the patio, disposal in the sink…. _Her mouth formed the words but her mind kept seeing Seymour, well, there was no better word for it, _sacrifice _Audrey to Audrey Jr. at her request. That was where they were at now. Marley feeling like crap so that Kitty could be truthful, what had started out with Kitty's burden had become Marley's sacrifice. Kitty felt her heart sink, and dread collect in her gut.

"_h-he rakes and mows the grass, he loves to mow and weed, I cook like Betty Crocker and I look like Donna Reed."_

That line got a laugh, and she shared in it, but Marley barely moved. _Come on, Marley_, Kitty silently begged.

Kitty had an idea, a bit risky, but she needed to try, or she just might start to cry. She let go.

No more avoiding it, she pictured Marley in every scenario and swallowed as it Marley this time being offered to that infernal excuse for a compost heap.

"_I'm he-his December bride, s-he's father, knows best, as the kids play Howdy Doody and the sun sets in the west." _Something must have changed in her tone, because Marley glanced at her, and the two made eye contact for a few seconds. Kitty broke it and ran her eyes over the rest of the assembled club, only Santana stared with any recognition, warily but, understanding too.

"_A picture out of Homes and Gardens magazine…" _Shutting her eyes against the visions, she pushed herself to the finale.

_Far from Skid-Row _Marley watched her intently.

_I dream we'll go _Kitty swallowed a sob, not entirely sad or happy, instead focused on the song, the only thing certain.

_Somewhere that's green._


	9. Ya never know

A/N: WARNING: The following chapter contains physical intimacy between two people of the same gender. Nothing too explicit, or even explicit at all, but it's pretty close. So if that's not your cup of tea, skip it, the next few chapters give enough of an idea of what happened. Without further ado, chapter nine~

Aubrey, Seymour and Aubrey Jr. no longer visited.

Kitty didn't know why that made her sad, or feel a little empty, but it did, and a sense of unease formed around their absence as though she had made some grave error and allowed something awful to happen.

_I don't have to look out for my hallucinations, they can protect themselves. _She felt better, until she realized she had just justified a brighter outlook on the maturity of entities that existed solely in her mind.

_Even without them, I'm going to be committed, _she thought bitterly.

It amazed her how much she had gotten used to the presence of the three, _literal_, characters, and she felt even worse with the realization that neither Santana or Rachel would be there next week, antagonists though they were, and that the pace of the last week would slow to a crawl in this one.

After a Sunday of sleeping away most of the day, Kitty greeted her parents home and glossed over the events of the past four days to make it friendlier to their vacation high, not wanting them to lose their buzz so soon. Monday came quickly, and Kitty found herself ignored.

Even her crass remark about the wedding earned her nothing but a few glares and a good humored nod in the affirmative from Mr. Shuester, as though she were making an actual point. She had only said it to get it over with; people had been side stepping the teacher and pretending everything was fine, and even if he started shaving again and had lost that hang dog look that said _I'm not angry or sad, I'm disappointed_, as though his life were a student he could motivate into being better, it wasn't and someone needed to be the bad guy, and if the last week taught her anything, it was that as accepting as the glee club was, it was only for the impression that they got, and Kitty decided not to rock their boats anymore.

_Of course, I couldn't rock Marley's boat any harder_, and ignoring the suggestiveness of that thought didn't back out of the bathroom when she saw Marley rinsing off her hands, Wednesday afternoon. She looked as though she had been crying.

"Geez, it's just pottery class, I'm sure they give full credit just for trying, even if your ashtray looks like crap. Maybe try a paperweight next time." Kitty said, seeing the clay residue staining the sink. She meant the comment to have more bite, but it came out cautious and playful, almost. Marley raised her head from its bowed position and stared at Kitty's reflection in the vanity mirror. Kitty held the gaze, not sure if it would be more awkward to break it. After a while, Marley spoke.

"What do you want, Kitty?" her voice nasally because of her sinuses, which exacerbated the tinge of annoyance in the taller girl's tone.

"I'm in a bathroom. Take three guesses."

"Then go ahead." Kitty frowned.

"What's with the whole emo routine?"

"I told him." Kitty tilted her head in confusion, but then realized what Marley meant.

"You told Jake you kissed Ryder and in revenge he stuck you hands in clay?" Marley glared at the blonde's reflection, under the belief that, like medusa, Kitty couldn't get to her if she didn't look directly at her.

"He set up the pottery wheel scene from _Ghost_, as a romantic gesture." Kitty nodded.

"That's… clever, 'cause it's 'songs from film' week. I get it. What would that boy do for romance if Mr. Shuester didn't come up with such hokey ideas?" Marley smirked.

"You, in the back seat of a car?" Marley was already crying, so might as well be mean. Besides, she felt the need to defend Jake, if only out of guilt. Kitty pretended to shiver.

"Some one turn up the heat, cause it just got _cold_ in here."

"Leave me alone." Instead, Kitty turned the lock on the door and rested on her arms the sink next to Marley.  
"He dump you?"

"Officially, no. But he looked like he wanted me to die, so I'm probably not one of his favorite people right now."

"You're exaggerating."

"He hates me and he has every right to."

"Because poor Ryder was just _unable_ to resist your wily charms."

"I'm in a relationship with Jake, not Ryder"

"Sometimes I wonder…"

"That's your issue, not his." Marley still hadn't looked at Kitty.

"You're still hung up on that?" Now she turned to face Kitty.

"Are you?" Kitty grinned.

"Didn't we have this conversation last week, with the roles reversed?"

"Answer the question." Marley took a step forward and Kitty a sliding step back.

"No. Look if you're going all 'girl interrupted' on me, I'll leave." Kitty moved for the door, but Marley blocked her.

"Now who's lying?" Marley voice was but a whisper. She took another step forward, and Kitty backed up once more.

"M-Marley, quit it." Kitty backed up again as the brunette stepped forward, and she stumbled as she hit the wall behind her. Marley closed the distance, and placed a hand on either side of her, so Kitty couldn't duck away.

"What?" Marley raised her eyebrows in mock innocence. "You see, you don't get it; you don't have any frame of mind of what you're giving up." Kitty tried to fight back.

"You're one to talk. You could have kept your mouth shut, especially after Jake went to all that trouble… you're a selfish bitch." Kitty did her best not to wince-she was sure Marley would slap her for that remark- and it must have come across as a wink, by Kitty's estimate.

"You're right." There was no sarcasm or deadpan to Marley's voice. Kitty blinked. "The thing is, at least I'm paying for it. _You_, on the other hand, want to feel bad, without actually having to." Her face softened, then, and despite being literally up against the wall, Kitty relaxed some, her body grateful for the reprieve, but still kept herself on her toes, in case _something_ happened. Marley rested her fore head against Kitty's then, suddenly, causing the shorter girl to gasp, which sounded loud given the echo.

Marley's hands slipped from the wall and circled around Kitty's waist.

"Marley…" Marley shushed her.

"You didn't believe me Friday, so I'm going to prove it to you."

"What about Jake?" Kitty was nervous, although she couldn't say why exactly. Marley shifted slightly, in what Kitty took to be a shrug.

"He doesn't want anything to do with me"

"Ryder?"

"Stop stalling."

"Wait, I'm dating Noah, remember?" Her voice was a little too high, and a little too hopeful.

"You're not doing anything; I am."

"Doing _what_, exactly?" Kitty felt like she was negotiating a hostage situation: trying to remind someone of what a god person they are, and how a lot of problems could be avoided if they just calmed down, while knowing full well, at this point, the shit had already hit the fan. She wasn't scared, or anything.

_That's not true though… you don't trust yourself, in this situation, and that scares the bejeebus out of you._

"Making a point about honesty; it isn't noble if you don't have to give up anything, if you think I wouldn't consider…" Marley looked away and grimaced in frustration. "If you think that it's a lost cause, because it's not, and it's not fair to shut me out like that."

"So your solution is to screw around in a bathroom? That's not really your style, is it?" Marley shook her head.

"I don't need to convince _myself_." The finality of the statement made Kitty worried and relieved at the same time, if that was possible. Like something she should consider, but couldn't remember, that no one would find out, if only she would just _let go_.

"So, what? You say it was you, because you already screwed up with Jake, and I get…"

"If you're telling the truth, then it won't matter, because you're already aware of what you're losing."

"And if I'm not…"

"This will hurt you a lot more than it hurts me." 

Marley tried to close the gap between their lips, but Kitty remembered how to move and turned her head away, like a child refusing to take her medicine. It was funny really, and Kitty knew that it was essentially playing hard to get; if she wanted to leave, she could have simply answered truthfully, instead she wanted to play chicken: whoever gives in first admits defeat. Kitty couldn't do that.

Marley settled for attacking her neck, although attacking would be incorrect, as Kitty felt a bolt of electricity shoot from her neck and settle in her lower belly. _This is Marley's deal, not mine. What's the worst that could happen?_ She hadn't seen any of her hallucinatory 'friends', not yet anyway, than she shouldn't.

Then she heard a familiar piano riff.

_Not again…._

No plant, spectacled man or silent, white dress wearing woman. Apparently, she would have to fill in, as the combination of the repetitive riff and Marley's ministrations caused the lewd growl in her throat to erupt from her lips in song, or at least

"_Though I giggle and I chortle, Bear in mind I'm not immortal." _If Marley kept this up, she wouldn't last much longer, and if that happened, Marley's plausible deniability defense didn't work. Kitty would be just as culpable.

"M-marley…"

"You can put the blame on me if anyone asks; it'll be _all_ my fault."

"_Don't let my mirth deceive you, any moment I'll be gone." _If Kitty weren't so anxious to get Marley to understand the effect she was having on her, she might enjoy how spectacular her voice sounded, almost like Audrey without the 'Noo Yawk' accent. Apparently, the out bursts of song weren't audible to Marley, or she didn't care. Marley's hand slid from her waist down her bare leg.

Kitty wasn't sure to curse out of hug the individual who designed the Cheerio uniforms so skimpy. Her heart was pounding and her breath was catching in her throat.

"_All my vital signs are flailing, feels like oxide I'm inhaling." _ Marley didn't stop, instead she moved on to Kitty's collarbone, as Kitty shifted away whenever the taller girl tried to kiss her.

"_Makes it difficult as hell to catch my breath…."_ Kitty gave up trying to stop the inevitable; tightness in her abdomen had wound so tight that even if all contact ceased, the breeze from an open window would send her over the edge.

"_Are you dumb or hard of hearing, or just glad my end is nearing…" _ Marley stopped as Kitty became stiff, shivered slightly, while her eyes were screwed shut.

The music stopped with a blast of a horn, as suddenly as it began.

"Kitty?" Marley's voice was concerned, and as the after shocks subsided, she opened her eyes. A beat passed and Kitty's flush turned from excitement to embarrassment, and Marley's eyes widened in realization.

"I didn't mean, I'm sorry, Kitty…"

She had lasted all of ninety seconds. The only thought that circled Kitty's mind now was that if she was a boy, she'd be a laughing stock.

"I know you didn't." Kitty tested her legs, and despite a slight wobble, managed to step forward. Again the two found themselves staring at each other, and again Kitty didn't know if it would be awkward to look away.

"Are you okay?" Kitty frowned at the question. Physically, a little shaky. But Kitty was sure that Marley meant emotionally. And Kitty wasn't sure how to answer, so she selected the next best thing

"I don't think premature ejaculation is hazardous to my health. You've made you're point; are you satisfied?" Marley didn't answer. Wanting very much to leave, Kitty side stepped the shell shocked Marley, who called after her after a moment Kitty stopped and turned.

Marley looked slightly less daring then before, but still stared pointedly.

"Now you'll understand" Kitty shifted uncomfortably, muttered 'drama-queen' under her breath and left.

The rest of the week went by without another such incident, although Kitty figured that would be hard to do. Most of the glee club's troubles were overshadowed by the revelation that Finn kissed Miss Pillsbury.

_Amazing how ironic that name is now, _Kitty thought wistfully. As the glee club dealt with the implications of losing their assistant… teacher… person- (Kitty wasn't sure what capacity Finn was supposed to fill, but it wasn't likely that he would continue to do so for much longer) Kitty dealt with the implications of Mr. Shuester losing his golden boy and, Kitty suspected, best friend.

It was a quarter to midnight when Kitty's cell phone rang. Squinting at the unknown number, she figured it was Noah, calling from a payphone to chat while at a bar or something.

"Hello" An unfamiliar and gruff voice answered on the other end after a pause.

"Uh, hello, is this Will's girl?" Kitty froze.

"Excuse me?" The person at the other end stepped away from the phone, as she could here the background noise. It was indeed a bar, as she heard the clinking of glasses, and knew no restaurant would be open at this time of the night.

The voice came back, grumbling to _him_self, as it seemed to her that the voice would belong to a man. Besides she was sure someone called 'Pete' when the person stepped away.

"Is this one of Will Shuester's _students_?" Kitty thought about saying no, but curiosity got the better of her.

"Yeah…."

"This is… weird and incredibly risky on my part to say the least, but, do you think you could come and get him? He asked for you specifically, before he passed out, if it helps."

It didn't, it made her even more creeped out, if anything. Kitty thought it best to hang up.

_But since when do I do what's best._

"Okay, where is he?" she heard a sigh of relief at the other end.

"Mickey's tavern, it's in Lima Heights" _Lovely._

'Pete' gave her the directions (she gave her origin point as two streets over) and Kitty crept down the stairs, hoping neither of her parents would notice her car absent from its parking spot across the street. Having thrown on a pair of sweats and a thread bare sweater over her tank top, she was grateful for the warmth of her car.

Satisfied she hadn't been spotted, she started the car, grimacing at how loud the engine rumbled and stared at her house. No lights went on, and besides the motor's tremble, all was quiet.

Pulling out she drove two streets over and began to follow the directions; getting lost, at night, in Lima Heights was not a good idea, which made her wonder what Mr. Shuester had been doing there. Certainly there were bars in nicer districts? Kitty had been to a few, that is, 'Katrina Montgomery' twenty two year old med student had been to a few.

_This musty be a fairly common thing, _thought Kitty as the directions took her within ten minutes directly in front of the watering hole, where her teacher was being propped up by a burly, bearded man, who brought him over.

_I suppose not many in Limas heights drive a Volkswagen bug. _

"Sorry 'bout this, no car service this time of the night, and I can't have him sleep it off, or my boss will kill me." Kitty recognized the voice of Pete, and rolled down the window. Pete frowned.

"Jesus! Are you twelve?!" Kitty smiled sweetly.

"My I.D. says I'm twenty-two." Pete chuckled.

"I really appreciate this. Will's a nice guy, and I didn't want to throw him in the street. It's a bad area." Kitty unlocked the doors, and he loaded the unconscious instructor in the back. Kitty let what Pete said sink in.

"He comes here often?" He shut the back door, and nodded.

"Well, the last week or so. Something about losing his girl and his best friend, figured you were the first till he muttered something about student contacts or something, to the bartender. Usually he leaves earlier, but he got too wasted."

Kitty nodded, and, locking the doors waved good bye and drove off.

It was about five minutes on the road that Kitty realized she didn't have a clue where Mr. Shuester lived.

Kitty groaned. Deciding it still wasn't safe to pull over she turned on the radio as loud as it would go, blaring Jesse J's _Price Tag_ and reached back to shake the man awake.

"Hey come on, snap out of it." Cracking the back windows a bit, both to allow the cold March night air and to get rid of the heavy scent of liquor pervading the car, the man remained dead to the world. Rolling her eyes at '_low blows and video hoes'_ she took to slapping, as gently as she could and still use some force, his face. Still nothing.

'_Cha-cha-chang-chang'… _perhaps a bag of change across the face? Kitty's head began to pound.

"Will you just wake the _fuck_ up!?" Apparently, the teacher recognized the voice cursing, shouldn't, and to her disbelief admonished her.

"Kitty, watch the language." Mr. Shuester began to fall back asleep, but Kitty quickly shook him, glancing between the road and the stirring teacher.

"Wake up, it's nearly one in the morning, you're drunk off your ass, and tap dancing on my last nerve!" Two sparkles of reflected light in the dark car told her she had accomplished her mission, he was coming to.

Mr. Shuester sat up quickly, apparently too quickly, as he nearly fell back down. His buzz was beginning to wear off, Kitty knew the signs from when she would see Noah get blitz, so much so, he couldn't even stand.

"Kitty, what happened? Where are we? It's one…. In the mourning?"

"You're drunk. You passed out. You asked for me before doing so. They called; I was nice enough to come. It is one in the morning, now, as I've been trying to wake you for twenty minutes, so you can tell me where you live so I can drop you home, and stop driving around in damn circles." He stared in shock at her, through the reflection of the rearview mirror.

"I'm going to be fired." He said simply. Kitty rolled her eyes.

"As much as this is a major abuse of our contact info, I won't tell if you won't. Now those directions."

"I can't… this is too bad, I've screwed up so bad." He cradled his head in his hands." Clicking the radio off, Kitty took a deep breath.

"Look at me. Look at _me_ God-damn it!" Kitty never took the Lord's name in vain. It was the one boundary she would never cross; but at the moment it seemed both were royally screwed and if any moment required invoking a deity, it was this. He stared at her reflection.

"Everything could have fucked up tonight. But it didn't. So you take this opportunity to make things better, you- you fight to make things right. Besides, you can not take away glee club from the others… from me… so get over yourself."

"I-I don't know…"

"Fine. I'm making the decision for you. If anyone asks, I'll say that I had no clue about your drinking; it's just an excuse- Mr. Shuester gave up on his kids, because that's what you'll be doing, and I sure as hell as did not get nearly _raped_ and _killed_ in Lima- fucking- Heights to play _Driving Miss Daisy_ to your fucking pity party! Got it? Is that how you want to be remembered, as a quitter, 'cause people can forgive alcoholics, but they _hate_ quitters who pussy out on them. Is that you? _Is_ it?" Shuester took a breath.

"No."

"Good….. _son of a bitch." _Shuester started.

"What?" Kitty sighed.

"I think I just learned something." She winked at Shuester in the mirror. "You teachers are a wily bunch, giving lessons even when you've fucked up." Shuester stared at Kitty with the wariness one gives a mental patient.

"What?" He squinted at her, tilting his head and then winced, which snapped Kitty out of her self- satisfaction.

"Ready to give me those directions?" Shuester nodded gingerly.

"….. and then I left, because what else am I supposed to do, you know?" Kitty and Shuester were currently in his apartment, and the girl handed him a glass of water and two aspirin, to deal with the, in Shuester's own words, "bitch of a headache" that had developed in the fifteen minute drive. It was now twenty to two in the morning, and Kitty was sure the entire emergency department of Lima, and several other cities, waiting for her at her house, as well as her incredibly scared and very quickly pissed, parents. That thought occurred to Shuester.

"You're parents…. How?" He managed to choke out, as the headache evolved into a migraine.

"Snuck out, so I need to be going, like, a half hour ago." Shuester nodded, and Kitty, turned to go but stopped.

"Um, Mr. Shuester?" Formality even in pajamas and in your teacher's apartment, at near two in the morning was still important to her. Shuester stared weakly at her. Kitty chose her words carefully, but kept brevity a top priority.

"Do you actually hate Finn?" Shuester shut his eyes. Taking this as a cue to leave Kitty began to do so.

"No, I don't. I'm…." Shuester opened his eyes. Kitty stopped. "I'm hurt. I… don't want to be…. But I am… and I could pretend everything is fine, and it would be better…. It would _feel_ better, but it wouldn't be better, Kitty."

Kitty nodded.

"Thanks"

"I think I owe the thanks tonight…" Kitty shut the light, already dimmed and slipped out the door, shutting it gently.

Back in her car, she readied herself for the circus she feared would be waiting for her.

Silence was the only thing waiting for her, and after Kitty parked her car and approached the door, she thought it a trap, but supposed that there wasn't much she could do either way. The house was quiet. Filling a glass with water, she sat in the dark, at the table, and took a sip; her mouth was dry for some reason and it was hard to swallow.

Kitty realized she was crying.

A/N: okay, I think Marley's characterization is a bit off here, but I chalk it up to her sadness over Jake and exasperation over Kitty. Otherwise, that scene felt good, but any sort of physical intimacy is hard to write without sounding… odd, and there wasn't even any sex (trying to keep a T rating) next chapter will deal with the sky falling in on Kitty as her feelings accelerate and Jake becomes a rival without her wanting to. Till then~ LoungeLizard


	10. Skid Row (Reprise)

A/N: so I've decided where this story should go, and I think I should make it a trilogy, each story telling what happened each school year. This part still has a few chapters left in it, and should end in another five or so. I don't foresee a happy ending in this first bit, but overall, I think it's possible. BTW, next part's name will be _Azure Reaping_ (happy thoughts if you get the joke). Anyway thanks to Twinlily555 for the thoughtful review, and without further ado, chapter 10.

Kitty furiously rubbed the eraser along a pencil line.

She was trying to rub out the picture that looked amazingly like Aubrey Jr.

Trying to forget that her 'guides', or whatever they were, were gone.

Trying not to think that, like a burst appendix, the three had seeped deeper into her mind, polluting it, when she had been close to ridding them.

Trying to figure out someway out of the mess she was in.

Trying to see a way in which Marley was not right.

Kitty _succeeded_ in tearing a hole in the sheet.

"There are other sheets of paper, if you don't like what's on that one, you know." Noah Puckerman said matter of fact in tone. Kitty looked up tiredly from her work which had multiple eraser marks from many tries.

The two, sitting at a table in the mall, were working on Noah's screen play. It had been a while since they had an actual date, minus the few quickies in either of their cars. The script had gone from a decent action plot in Kitty's opinion, to a workable science fiction drama, with her lay understanding of exobiology and astronomy, and Noah's self taught but diverse knowledge of supernatural and Sci-Fi movie plots and mechanics.

"Besides, that looks good. Freaky, all _vagina dentata. _Kitty stared. "I heard it in a movie." He defended. Kitty grinned.

"I'm just amazed you applied it accurately." She quickly frowned, however, remembering her initial thoughts about Audrey Jr. during _Feed me (Git it) _and its disturbing visage. Kitty crumpled the paper into a ball.

"Looks too unoriginal, something you would see in a b- horror movie. And we want to do better than that, right?"

Noah nodded, turning his attention back to the script. Kitty let out a small sigh of relief.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Kitty had but two options. She could admit guilt and confess about her feelings for Marley, or shut up and accept Marley's terms: deal with the fact that until now, she wasn't giving anything up, and from that point on doing the hard work of not pursuing the brunette and bitching out all challengers.

Kitty chose the second, retroactively. She didn't think losing Noah was something she could handle, and there was no reason to admit to something she had no intention of following up on. Because even if she told the truth, there was no certainty that Jake and Marley would split. And Kitty Wilde did not take foolish risks.

_Besides driving into the bad part of town late at night to retrieve my stinking drunk teacher wallowing in self pity. Flu my ass, _she thought, remembering why Blaine and Sam had taken over the club. _He's hung-over._

Correction: Kitty Wilde did not take undeserved risks.

_Besides performing with Marley in those Spice Girls outfits. _The blonde shifted uncomfortably at the thought, trying to focus on a believable alien invader.

"Maybe we should go back to the planet the aliens come from…. What's the environment like?" Noah took a swig of his large drink, likely made Irish even if St. Patrick's Day was nearly a week ago.

"Well, I was thinking that the planets in movies are generally older…."

"Older?"

"Mmm. Like, something's happened. Obviously, it would have to be because of the advanced technology. But that's cliché, so maybe the planet was long ago destroyed, and we get into how the aliens go from planet to planet?"

"I think that's the plot to _Independence Day_." Noah ran a hand through his Mohawk.

"Crap. Scrap that then." Kitty shook her head.

"Not necessarily. We could… set it up so that… we need something interesting to grab the audience." Kitty grinned at her own enthusiasm, and Noah returned it with a smile, without a trace of humor or condescension. Kitty could be herself around him, and her actual self got excited about things. The closest anyone in Glee club, Marley included, got to this side was when Kitty declared her intention to make Glee club win at nationals- and even then, under a veneer of mercurial intent: because Kitty Wilde likes to win.

"You mean like how the _Sarlacc_ in _Star Wars_ seems like an unintelligent sand worm, but can actually absorb the minds of those it eats and communicate with others, like Boba Fett?" Kitty had just gotten a look at what a kind of child Noah must have been- this wasn't just typical teenage male obsession with popular culture, rather, Kitty saw actual interest, and it made like him just a little more, which considering how much she liked him already, was no mean feat.

_Like, not love, _a voice inside her skull reminded her. She ignored it.

"Exactly. So, what's unique about our unfriendly visitors?"

"They aren't. Visitors, I mean" Kitty raised her eyebrows. Noah leaned in. "Hear me out now. What if the alien invaders are… spores or some disease, but the people they infect become part of a conspiracy to harm the president? Like, if your best friend was perfectly normal, except for that one urge to do this, triggered at the drop of a hat? Or a lover, even?"

Kitty swallowed at the mention of _lover_. _Something small wriggling its way into a happy, otherwise perfect life… Sound familiar? _If she paid attention, the voice in her head was almost identical to Marley's, just with a layer of mocking, her subconscious contribution to the memory of the girl's otherwise light and breezy tone. Kitty glared.

_My life is not perfect. _

_That's a defense? _Rather than the mocking Marley, that last statement was Kitty's own, expressing amazement at her poor counterpoint.

"Hey. Earth to Kitty?" Noah passed his hand in front of her face, and Kitty, playfully, smacked it away, trying to smile, hoping it didn't look as pained as it felt. Noah tilted his head and gave her an odd look, but turned back to the typed papers in front of him. "Okay, so I can write that in here," Noah pointed to a point on a particular page, "Now I just need a good set of supporting characters, I don't want a whole shit load of 'red shirts'." Seeing Kitty face, he quickly explained, "Disposable characters, like soldiers who die real quick in a war movie or when a girl goes through boyfriends like nothing in a chick flick."

"I don't think those two examples are consistent." Noah shrugged, and turned to look at her.

"Sure they are, I mean in any movie, some characters are bit parts, right? But in these movies, the bit characters are the _whole_ point. They just get used in a way to move the plot along, and then you never see them again. It's so formulaic. And the main characters aren't even special, because compared to a walking one-liner? _Anything_ is better" Kitty frowned.

"That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

"I don't think so. It's about standards." He brightened. "Hell, you taught me that- this movie is only as good as it's lamest character, and if we set the bar high, we won't get caught in that crap, right?" Kitty wanted to nod, but felt as though she were signing her life away. _Or someone else's._

"Listen, Noah, what I meant was…. There are a lot of missed opportunities-in films like these, not that this will be like _those_- just… you don't have to settle. You shouldn't." Staring at Noah, she wasn't sure what she meant, and gauging his reaction, Noah didn't either.

"Um…cool" There was a pregnant pause then, Kitty trying to flip through papers and look busy, which she found out, doesn't work when you're interacting one on one. She silently pleaded for a distraction and got one, as Noah took out his cell and started texting. Noticing Kitty watching him, he began to slip the device back into his pocket.

"Sorry, I just thought it was time for a break…" Kitty held her hands up.

"It is!" She said a little too enthusiastically. "That's a good idea. Who're you calling?" He took the phone back out and Kitty relaxed, and hoped not noticeably so.

"My literal brother- from- another- mother. He's with Marley and wanted to know what I was doing." A pang of jealousy popped somewhere inside her chest. _He has my girl, and now he wants my boy, too!" _The blonde shut her eyes as the full weight of everything that was wrong with that sentence hit.

Namely, Kitty's possessiveness and Jake 'wanting' his brother. Kitty stared miserably into her drink.

"Hey, just making sure before I say no, you don't want to hang out with Jake and Marley, right?" Kitty looked up from her coffee, and scrunched up her face.

"Like what? A double date?" Noah copied her expression.

"Fuck if I know. I think he wants to make it up to me, 'cause he's been spending so much time with Marley, which is cool, but I know you and her aren't best friends. He is my blood, though, so in good faith I have to ask, even though I know the answer, you know?" Kitty felt herself nod.

"Wait." Noah paused. "Say yes." Noah raised an eyebrow. "I don't want people thinking this is one of those fly by night sort of things, our relationship I mean. So invite the dynamic duo, I'm sure I can keep my lunch down, if they get too lovey dovey, if I can do it at school." She meant it to be disaffected, but Kitty was legitimately concerned with the growing nausea in her gut. Swallowing back the bile, she nodded her assurances to him, and he typed in the response.

"They'll be here in a few," Noah told her, leaning back in his chair. Kitty took the reprieve to shut her eyes hoping to stem the swirling in her stomach. It wasn't working.

Kitty had a feeling that Noah suspected something; his allowing the conversation to lapse gave her pause, because it meant he knew that she was uncomfortable, and was giving her some space. Noah wasn't profound- beyond his near savant understanding of movies and video games. But, he knew when he wasn't wanted, or that someone was trying too hard, an understanding that rushes at people, crossing some boundary into the noticeable. He was willing to play along, and Kitty figured that was for her benefit more than his own. She hated that.

_Speaking of…_

At that moment Jake came into view, with Marley in tow, sending another twang of envy through her chest. Kitty surmised that Marley had been hesitant, and only went to be supportive of Jake, just as Kitty wouldn't accept Noah's willingness to say no.

_Or that's what I'll tell myself. _

Kitty felt like an addict, except Marley wasn't her drug of choice. Every attempt to do the right thing, the selfless, altruistic thing, brought her back to the girl, only now she was starting to build up a tolerance, and, wanting more, couldn't tell if what she was doing was for the better good of the others, or just happened to coincide with feeding her own want, which was quickly graduating to a need.

While her Greek chorus composed of Horror characters had subsided, Kitty was now sure, more than ever, that her mental health was deteriorating; what was once vivid and clear manifests of an external and separate influence (LSoH) had now degraded to a hulking force beneath her conscious, and so inaccessible, until it rose its head, Lochnesss monster like, to take a bite out of her sanity. What was once simple and forward had burrowed into her, and Kitty felt uncomfortable rather than previously, where she was just annoyed.

The younger Puckerman and the source of Kitty's dependency had found there way to the table where Kitty and Noah were working, Jake eyeballing the numerous papers spread out on the white surface, Marley attempting to find a spot to set her gaze that didn't involve looking Kitty in the eye, or staring deeply into Noah's for no apparent reason.

"This is for your screenplay?" Kitty resisted the urge to exclaim, _No shit, Sherlock._ Frowning, distracted at that particular turn of phrase, she had to struggle when Jake asked about the plot.

_The search for a rare African bird, known as Nunya Business. _Instead, Kitty just nodded along with Noah's enthusiastic explanation.

"Cool. We were wondering," he gestured to himself and Marley, and Kitty followed his movements, holding back a _Well, duh, _"if you wanted to stop by Breadsticks, on me, of course?" Kitty managed to quell the eye roll at such a predictable outing, but was unable to stifle her words.

"Where would _you_ get that kind of money?" The other three turned to look at her, and Kitty was glad to have enough of a mind to cut most of the smarmy disbelief out of the question. Jake frowned, but still seemed in a tolerant mood.

"I have money, Kitty." It was slightly defensive, but still assuring as though he was willing to believe that Kitty's inquiry had good intentions, although against his better judgment. Kitty rolled her eyes, deliberately this time and smiled in what she hoped was a genuine manner.

"Of course. It's just that, Coach Sylvester just ended one of her fasting regimes for the squad, and I really don't want you to blow your cash when I get a little too acquainted with the experience of solid food. Really, at this point I have no self control." Shooting a side glance to Marley during her remark about self control, _her _self control, she saw the taller girl raise an eyebrow, but remain otherwise stoic amid the exchange. "So how about, instead, we go to a movie, my treat, since you're- sort of- our guests for the day?" She pulled out her wallet, sliding out a cerulean credit card for emphasis.

"With Daddy's money?" Jake scoffed, and now all attention was turned toward him, like two oddly portioned, with reference to their squabbling parents, children, attempting to be inconspicuous during yet another argument.

A cutting remark surfaced in Kitty's mind then: _Well, we can't very well ask _your_ daddy, now can we?_ But kitty knew it would be a pyrrhic victory and besides even she found the rejoinder to be in bad taste. Instead, she gave a smirk.

"Sure. I'm pretty sure it's in an American teenage girl's DNA to spend her father's money." Leaning into Jake's characterization of her, she hoped to defuse the impolite remark to a simple bit of banter, and waited to see if the boy was smart enough to take the out.

"A movie seems like a good idea, but I still think I should pay." Kitty blinked, wondering why Jake was so intent to pay. Had Marley broken down and told him of their rendezvous in the bathroom? Doubtful. Maybe he was picking up on something between them and felt the need to fight for his love. She might have to give the boy some credit. Sliding the card back into the wallet, she acquiesced to his compromise.

"So what movie, then?"

After awhile, in which some debate had transpired, until Jake suddenly remembered the ever quiet Marley, clutching a plastic drink container with both hands as though it were a security blanket, and asked her. Being the diplomatic one, she settled on a comedy, but Kitty wasn't paying attention, and missed the name, just hearing that it was a 'farce to be remembered' as Jake read aloud from the newspaper he had produced to search for something. _A rather backhanded compliment if there ever was one_, Kitty thought.

At the Cineplex, Jake and Noah went to retrieve the tickets and snacks, Jake good naturedly promising to bring back large boxes of candy and go the extra dollar or so for free refills if Kitty was so famished. She tried to detect a bit of sarcasm or disbelief, but in all likelihood Jake was just showing off for Marley and more or less sincere. The long lines for both the ticket queue and the concessions stand meant that Kitty and Marley would be alone for a bit.

"Why a movie, Kitty?" The shorter girl was startled- it was the first time today that Marley had spoke without being spoken too.

"Why not a movie?" Kitty replied neutrally. Marley shifted, and with Kitty eyeing the brothers, Kitty had to rely on her peripheral vision to tell what the other girl was doing.

"Kitty could you look at me?" Furrowing her brow, she obstinately refused to comply with the brunette's request.

"Maybe I don't want to look at you; did you ever think of that? That's why I want to see a movie; it'll be too dark to see your damn face." Kitty couldn't decide if she wanted Marley to start crying from the cruel remark, or call her on it. Marley chose the latter.

"Do you really mean that Kitty?" Her voice was tired sounding, as if disappointed.

"Sure." Kitty sucked in a deep breath when she felt light fluttery touches trail down the back of her neck, Marley's thumb tracing soothing circles. Both girls stared at the slowly moving line, bit by bit taking their respective mates to the front.

"What are you doing?" Kitty hissed. Marley didn't stop.

"You look awful." It wasn't said with any playfulness or malice, simply an observation.

"Gee, thanks." Kitty had almost forgotten the slow strokes, having relaxed into them. Against the wall there was no reason to fear; from the front it merely looked as though Marley was stretching.

"You know what I mean. You look tired. I-I'm sorry about what happened… in the bathroom?" Marley's voice wavered. "I didn't mean to take it that far, to do… _that_ to you."

"Never say never, Marley Rose. Besides, if you're so sorry why are you groping my neck while our boyfriends are just feet away from us? It's not fair." Marley sighed.

"It's not going to be. That's what I am trying to tell you. For a long time now. Putting this burden on you? Actually doing it? It's going to be horrible. Painful. And eventually, you're going to want it to stop. When that time comes, and it will, we'll all be caught in the crossfire." Marley circled her wrist of her free hand. "What are we going to do then? Did you actually think that those feeling of yours were just your business? Did you realize this is the first time you've actually relaxed when seeing Jake and I?"

"What, exactly, do you think I feel?" Marley's thumb halted but then resumed the revolutions on the back of her neck.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean." Kitty turned, forcing Marley to drop her hand, Kitty's neck, and then her whole body suddenly felt cold. Looking directly into pools of cerulean and mercury, trying to hold the gaze was almost painful.

"You think this is some crush, or I'm trying to add to my, well stocked, by the way, roster of fuck buddies?" Marley blinked at the profanity. "Because it's not. There is a thin line between love and hate. Most people take it to mean that there's some hidden attraction between people who despise each other passionately. But me? I think it's possible to hate the people you love, and still love them. That even though," Kitty lowered her voice; there was no reason to, but the blond felt the need all the same, "someday I want to have you babies," Kitty was aware how ridiculous that sounded, but she was on a roll, "even though I want to start a family with you, I really don't need to see your face right now, okay?"

Marley's mouth, open in an attempt to respond to that revelation, swiftly shut with an audible click as Jake and Noah approached, their business concluded. In the darkness of the theater, Kitty got her wish.


	11. Sudden Changes

A/N: So a big thank you to my first Guest review, that was some of the best feedback ever. This chapter pushes us to our close, about four more chapters left. I will say that _'Shooting Star'_ was really hard to sublimate and your thoughts on how well I did that are most appreciated. Next chapter will feature Faberry, so stay tuned. Without further ado, Chapter 11:

"Hey, Kitty. Wait up."

Letting out a disgusted sigh, she turned to Ryder as he caught up with her.

"Seriously. Gobi desert. In _July." _She pointed to area below her belly. Ryder rolled his eyes.

"If it isn't you, then who else could it be? Their phone was in the room during lockdown, and everyone else either had their cell or has a different ring tone."

"Isn't it hard to chase down criminals in a shorty bus, Columbo?" Ryder shook his head.

"Look, I'm just trying to find the person I shared a lot with."

"Who's likely a psychopath, and most important, not me." Ryder sighed.

"Then do you have any idea who it could be?" Kitty pitied the boy.

"Glee club wouldn't do this. Probably one of the band members, one of those cello bitches." Ryder face palmed.

"Why didn't I think of that, again?"

"You're mother huffed paint when she carried you. The band is pretty much background furniture. One of those two options." Despite the insult, Ryder grinned.

"Thanks. You know, people are starting to see how nice a person you really are."

"Awesome. That makes me feel warm in my special place."

"No, really. Even Jake.

"Jake hates my guts."

"Nah. When I thought you were Katie, he said you've been cool this entire time, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad." Kitty stopped trying to shove Ryder towards the school exit.

"Jake, self proclaimed defender of the honor of Marley Rose, who dumped me in the middle of a crowded hallway, said that?" Ryder paused, and then nodded, a bit overenthusiastically. Kitty held up her hand.

"Easy. Pretty sure you should preserve the few brain cells you have left." Kitty stopped for a beat, and then sharply stared at Ryder. "You see! I'm not 'cool.' I'm a bitch. I insult people on instinct."

"Yeah, that's like, every one here, Kitty."

"Well, Jake doesn't know what he's talking about." Ryder smirked. Kitty suddenly understood why that was so infuriating.

"I think he does."

"You don't know the first thing about me."

"You know, most people would just take the compliment."

"Thing number one that you don't know about me: I'm not most people." Kitty cocked her hip and put a hand on it. She had the feeling that Ryder regarded her at this point as a very difficult and sassy five year old.

"Okay, Kitty I-"

"There are things you don't know about me, so bad, you wished I didn't tell you!" Ryder looked scared now.

"You didn't-"

"You think you know me? You think Jake thinks he knows me? Knows the horrible secrets that lie in my mind? Think he would still say that if he knew that in my heart of hearts what I most wanted was to _screw_ Marley's _brains_ out; that I want his girl for my own, that he practically _excommunicated_ you for just kissing her, what he would do to _me_ if he knew that I wanted to make her say my name over and over and ov-"

The few students in the hallway stared, mouths agape, including Ryder, his eyebrows nearly disappearing into his hairline.

_Did I say that out-loud?_

_Two weeks earlier_

It had been a rough day for Kitty. Make that a rough _couple_ of days. Of course, fearing for your life had been hard on everyone, so much so, that a particular brunette, that despite Kitty proclaiming to not want to see her face, hugged her not once but twice, even after the danger turned out to be Coach Sylvester dropping her gun, which Kitty thought was utter nonsense, and that Sylvester, no longer coach, was hiding something

_Bullshit_, Kitty had thought, to be exact.

In the interim, Kitty had been appointed temporary Coach, supervised by Coach Beiste, who read a magazine in the corner of the gym for the duration, content to allow Kitty free reign, which was considerable torture for both her and her fellow Cheerios; trying to get senior students to listen to a sophomore, especially without Coach Sylvester, especially with the knowledge that Kitty had been the favorite of their tyrannical leader, was a bitch, a mouthy one at that. Compounding this, most of the Cheerios seemed intent on listening to Brittany, and demanded her put in charge, Kitty refused. The squad retaliated by following Brittany's direction, that is, the random suggestions that sprouted from the gargantuan blonde with near atomic randomness. Brittany's words echoed in her head, _"Nobody likes you" _

"Brittany.

"Yeah?

"Stop whispering in my ear. It's creepy."

"Oh, sorry. I was going for dreamy and revere." Kitty rolled her eyes.

"Brittany, can you not… keep talking?" Brittany remained quiet. "I mean, on the floor. The girls won't listen if you keep giving them ways to screw around." Now it was Brittany's turn to roll her eyes.

"They don't like you. They don't listen to what I say at any other time- it's to make _you_ mad."

"So it's all about me?" Kitty replied, sarcasm evident in her tone.

"For _once_, yeah."

Kitty tried to start again, but gave up when Brittany's voice rose through the gym-"We should do a scene from _Black Swan_. I'll be Mila Kunis. Who wants to be the girl she goes down on?"- and a few Cheerios actually stepped forward.

As the squad cleared out, Kitty watched as yet more portable metal detectors was installed at the gym entrances. A low growl gurgled in the back of her throat and a displeased expression formed on her slight features.

The detectors had been popping up all over school and their obelisk like presence on campus was beginning to grate on Kitty's nerves. Understanding about school safety, as she had cried profusely when it seemed that they weren't going to make it, when the door handle was shook, even harder realizing it was probably some scared student or a teacher who lost the veneer of authority to someone determined to enforce their will, something that Kitty fought to preserve, frowning on familiarity between students and faculty (save for the odd drunken music teacher, that is) and chastising overly friendly instructors. Understanding that just because this was a false alarm, that didn't make the world any less dangerous, people any less willing to cross boundaries into even crueler acts, that she sought comfort in either Jake or Marley, people who, in all sense of social responsibility, Kitty should avoid.

And apparently her mental constitution did not appreciate the phrase better later than never. The installations seemed so relaxed and benign; it was like watching repairs… _renovations_.

The workers shuffled about, and chatted on occasion, some administrators came to observe, their evaluations mixed with the voices of the workers drowned out almost completely like some low drone, some exposition dialogue set to a thread bare tune.

Something shifted in her chest. A twinkle, a familiar tune sounded in her ears; she had learned long ago that was the only place it existed: in her mind. This was familiar, and yet altered, slowed down, a parody of it's already parodied self. Still no lyrics followed, almost as though her subconscious, or whatever mental sphere that generated these auditory hallucinations, were toying with her.

In the safety of her room, gingerly remembering the tune, she pulled out a worn cassette tape of the soundtrack to _Horrors_. Set ting the record player slow (really, she ought to get a CD, or just stick to Youtube- having a cassette player for one tape was wasteful, even for the occasional usefulness it provided, like now) and let the tune invade her ears.

The slowness seemed… appropriate, but not quite right.

So, Kitty ditched a class, and sat herself at the choir room piano, sheet music to _Closed for Renovations_ on the mantle.

Kitty still felt the monotone vibrating about her, but if she couldn't see the workers or the administrators, it was just a certain understanding of what lied beneath, without the actual tune playing. She was pretty sure this was worse than before.

"_We're closed for renovation, for s-spiff-"_ A sour note echoed, breaking her rhythm. It was hard to both sing and play at the same time, even if Kitty wasn't a novice. Her parents got her piano lessons, and for once, instead of some belief on how this would enrich her life, it was because Kitty's mother had played in college, and her parents always imagined seeing their daughter at the piano, facsimile of her mother, enduring envoy of their love. She'd never be as good as she believed her mother was, as the older Wilde never played anymore, and Kitty suspected it was because her progeny didn't match her expectations.

_That's the stupidest thing you have ever thought. And that's saying something given your 'Obama's gonna lose' rant. The fuck was that about-_

"Kitty?" Glancing in the direction of the voice, the haze of thought softening the sharpness of her features. Kitty couldn't pull a scowl fast enough.

"What, Marley?" The disinterest was forced, obviously, even to someone who had no idea what was going on.

"I came to see where you were. We have English together, remember? I thought, maybe, something was wrong."

"Well, here I am. So you can stop…" Kitty searched for some term that would trivialize Marley's apparent feelings, so she could keep her moral high ground, after so shortly ago regaining it at the movie theater. "Worrying" _Epic fail_, chimed a voice in Kitty's head.

"I am, you know. Worried, I mean. I had guessed we made up during… you know."

"I was sacred and you were a warm body. Get over yourself." Pretending to attempt to get back into her work, Kitty tensed as she felt Marley sit down beside her. A nonplussed glance in the other girl's direction told her Marley had forsaken her pageboy hat and decided on a mini-dress today, the close proximity of her own bare leg to one just a shade darker caused her breath to hitch in her throat. Rolling her eyes at herself, Kitty decided to be bold and, stretching ever so slightly, shifted her leg so that it brushed up against Marley.

But she was examining the sheet music Kitty had stupidly left lying out in the open to notice. Flustered, Kitty fought to make her voice equal parts disdain and apathy.

"Didn't your mom ever teach you not to take other people's things without asking?" Marley looked away from the sheet music, annoyance coloring, but not dominating her features, likely at the reference to her mother.

"Yes, but I'm not taking it Kitty, just looking. And if it bothered you so much, you would have snatched it out of my hand long ago," she finished as she set it back down, so that Kitty could not make a point by doing just that. "She did say it wasn't nice to tease others, though." Kitty squinted at her.

"I haven't been teasing you. I've been downright nice to everybody, in fact."

It took all of her will power not to shriek when Marley placed her hand on her leg, just outside the inside of her thigh.

"Not the kind of teasing I meant, actually." Kitty took in a shaky breath, griping the side of the piano. Marley hand was still sending off sparks on the sensitive skin of her leg, but Kitty didn't have the ability to move it.

Even if she did, it was her feelings, not her physical attraction that Kitty still had the modesty card to play with. Marley released her leg and feeling her lower belly unclench, and her heart sink at the loss of contact, Kitty let out a frustrated breath.

"You pretend to be innocent, Rose, but you must give Jake a run for his money, huh?" Marley rose from her seat, and Kitty fought off yet another wave of dejection.

"You sound impressed, Wilde." After a beat, Marley continued. "I guess I do all right." Kitty couldn't help but notice the drop in confidence. She decided to throw a bone her way, although she really didn't have any ground to be looking down at anybody.

"There's an understatement." Marley smiled.

"Can you play?"

"Well enough." Marley walked behind her.

"Would you play while I sing?" Kitty turned to look her in the eye.

"Why would I do that?" The question hadn't meant to be mean, but it sounded like an insult in Kitty's ears. Marley played it off, though.

"Because I don't know how to play the piano, silly." Was Marley flirting? Kitty felt a little irritated, the game of look but don't touch (figuratively speaking, of course) beginning to upset her. As much as she had to admit her ultimate reasons for denying her feelings for Marley were selfish, she didn't like breaking all the rues she had set up to preserve their friendships and avoid the collateral damage that would arise should people find out about her and Marley.

"What are you doing Marley?" The girl rested on the edge of the piano's string compartment.

"Giving you what you want, whether or not it's good for you. If you meant what you said the other day-"

"I did." No waver, Kitty's voice was resolute. Marley nodded.

"Then I wouldn't feel right denying you, especially if I didn't exactly think the idea was completely out of the question."

"Fine." Nonchalance is the last refuge of the lovelorn, and given Marley's eyeing of her as she turned back to the piano, the taller girl was expecting a different reaction. Kitty decided that if she was willing, she might as well use her.

_So dirty, so very, very dirty._

"I need you to change the temp though, can you do that?" Marley nodded, and waited for her cue.

Kitty began, in the key of _a minor_. Marley sounded in, her soft voice adding a melancholy that she could never really produce, and was what she was looking for.

"_We're closed for renovations, for spiffying up and grooming." _Mercury tinted eyes searched for approval, and hazel eyes delivered. Marley used the break in the lyrics to slow the pace, to the point where it sounded like the bridge of _Somewhere That's Green_, and Kitty was impressed at how well she followed direction, squashing another rude idea that popped up in her train of thought.

"_Cause customers are flocking and business is booming. We need refrigeration for our new improved display_

_We're closed for renovations today."_

Shifting the second to last line in a descending melody, and leveling the last practically to a monotone, Kitty was sure this was the version of the song she had heard in her break from reality. Still, Kitty allowed Marley to continue, needing to hear the rest of the song in a somewhat friendly context before facing whatever demons were attempting to devour her sanity.

Kitty also wanted to hear Marley's voice, the private performance comfortable, for lack of a better word. Marley had gone into the third stanza now.

"We're closed for renovation/ For swabbing down and brooming. Cause business has been thriving since Audrey Two been blooming." At this, Marley shot a concerned look at Kitty.

_That's right, she knows about my…issues. _Kitty shrugged, and thankfully, her songstress continued. Blanching slightly at the use of _her songstress_ to describe Marley, she hoped that by the end of this, she wouldn't do anything stupid.

_Like try and take her on the piano._

Completing the list of flowers in the song, Marley delivered the final line, only now having a bit of trouble maintaining the slower pace.

It was the song alright.

"So, you're still having those, like, visions?" Kitty looked up ruefully, cracking her neck, realizing the muscles that had been tense coming into the choir room almost an hour ago had loosened somewhat. A satisfying round of pops sounded in her ear canal.

"It's like fucking _Eli Stone_ in here," Kitty groaned, pointing to her forehead. Marley retook her seat beside her. Something occurred to Kitty.

"How'd you memorize the lyrics so fast, anyway?" Her tone was somewhat accusing.

"Well, I sorta bought the soundtrack after musicals week. Your performance was really good, Kitty."

"Do you always end your sentences with a person's name when you're trying to sound earnest?" Marley met her smirk with a grin.

"Don't change the subject, Kitty." Marley paused. "And, yes, I guess I do." Both girls laughed. Marley stopped short. "Is that how you see us, Kitty? Like in _Somewhere That's Green_?" Kitty averted her eyes.

"Not exactly, no. I get you want out of Shithole, USA, I do. I get that you want to live in the city and not in some tract housing. The point is, I don't care. I really just want you."

"But, someone else has me…" It was more to herself than anything, Kitty could see that. She decided to go in for the kill.

"Does Jake understand? Is he going to leave his mom and his brother? 'Cause if I thought, for a second even, that you come? I break it off with Noah. But I don't think you will, so I'm putting up with it and it sucks, and all I want is a chance."

"Jake understands, Kitty." Kitty's smirk dissolved into a watery smile, but the tears were still a bit of a ways off.

"Who are you trying to convince, _Marley_?" Marley' eyes narrowed, and Kitty wished she had backed off.

"No one, Ki- I'm just trying to be… understanding. You don't have to drag Jake in the middle of something between us." Kitty threw up her hands. "There is nothing between us, and it's _because_ of that boy! Do you really think that someone who doesn't know about Bobby Brown, or Chris and Rhianna gets what it's like to be in love and want to pursue your dreams?" Kitty wasn't sure why she was attacking Jake. She was breaking her own rules; she didn't need Marley for that.

The other girl was incredulous. "Because _popular culture_ is an indicator of a good relationship?" Kitty's face reddened at Marley's sarcasm.

"Because I'm better! I understand what you want." Kitty's voice softened on the last part. _You like Jake. You know this isn't about him. _Kitty ignored the chastising voice in her head.

She was angry because it wasn't fair, and Jake was at the center of that unfairness. If things were a little bit different…

"You're better because Jake's awful?" Kitty knew that tone. It was the same her parents used to point out a flaw in her logic. "You're the _lesser_ of two evils, Kitty? Is that it?" Kitty didn't have a response, but her smartass brain did.

_Gambled, and lost. _"You don't think I deserve only the best of a bad situation, even if I agreed with you, do you, Kitty?"

"No."

"Yeah."

"You know I don't." Marley sighed.

"Sometimes I wonder. I mean, look at how we started off. Do you know how long it takes to get cherry slushy out of fabric?" Marley's tune had turned playful, trying to mitigate the awkwardness of the shame that was radiating off of Kitty. Kitty wanted to lean into the salve of friendship, but the taint of pity caused a fresh wave of guilt and embarrassment to course through her, frustrating her. She needed out, all of a sudden.

"I- Marley, I need to go, okay?" Kitty avoided the hurt expression on Marley's face that was sure to be there, rushing out.

Sitting in botany lab the week after, Kitty stared at three empty potted terra cotta pots, each with a seed embedded in the soil.

Four weeks ago. Nothing had grown since. Kitty's rueful glare was not conducive to a green thumb. The only good from the irony of the situation was that whatever jokes could be made by her insidious subconscious had jammed due to the sheer number of possibilities. The instructor came over, inspecting her work, and frowned. Kitty returned the expression.

"Nothing, huh? Ah, well. Sometimes the seeds are no good."

"Then what's the point?" The instructor shrugged.

"You're getting an 'A'. Don't worry about it." He walked to another table.

_Of course I'm getting an A. The point is the wasted forty- three minutes every Tuesday and Thursday for a semester because this school has the oddest fucking course selection in all of Ohio._ Returning her glare to the deserted potting soil. Kitty didn't care about school, and the grade was a gimmie, besides the Advanced Placements, every other course in this school was mind numbingly simplistic. This went double for the 'sciences' outside of Physics, Chemistry and Biology- Astronomy was pointless, Kitty having learned the majority of the curriculum from The Magic School Bus; Earth science shared about seventy five percent of it's content with Astronomy; and Botany revolved around gardening and the rumor that the kid in a knit cap two rows up from her was growing Marijuana, or possibly oregano _for Marinara_… sauce. However, Kitty compensated for the maddening waste of her precious days on this earth by gaining something, even f the idiotic course outline did not permit, or even made it difficult to do so. Her father bought her a telescope for her class even when she protested; Kitty enjoyed the solitude of looking at a crowded but sparse universe. She spent the majority of her semester in earth science perusing, cataloguing and observing the role of certain minerals in developing specific technologies across civilizations, such it was that she simply turned up at the final and finished the test in fifteen minutes, and was disappointed that she _only_ received a ninety nine. Her mother insisted that the homemade sauce was the best she ever tasted, and together with her father ate through each of the five fifty ounce jars worth, on linguini, and somehow, were still hungry afterward, causing her to ask Kitty to grab some more next class.

And while she would call that a win, these infertile, infernal pots had her irritated, livid, actually. Kitty growled.

"I've given you sunshine. I've given you dirt. And…. You given me nothing." Kitty rolled her eyes. _Talking to plants may be good for them but it's also a sign of senility. _Kitty supposed that given her name, it was better to be a crazy plant lady than a crazy _cat_ lady. Rubbing her temple, Kitty froze mid semi-circle. Going over her out loud plea to the potted sweet pea: _Sunshine, dirt. She had gotten nothing…._

_But heartache and hurt, _the voice in her head finished the rhyme for her. _So I'm singing to my plants, is that it? _ Kitty would have spoken this, but didn't trust her mouth to not belt out the next stanza. Unfortunately, akin to what happened in the bathroom when Marley damn near jumped her bones, if Kitty didn't open her mouth, she felt like she would suffocate. A glance around the room told her no one was looking at her, the one reason she took this seat; being by the door meant frequent visits by the teacher and thus no one wanted it, she was by herself mostly since she always did her work.

"_I'm begging you sweetly, I'm down on my knees." _Kitty felt her knees buckle, in an attempt to act out the performance as well.

_Rachel Berry would be so proud, _she thought as she rolled her eyes. _Too bad I don't care. _Straightening herself, she continued.

"_Oh, please grow for me. I've given you plant food, and water to sip." These lyrics are rather repetitive, _Kitty thought. Perhaps constant _Horror_ songs were beginning to grate on her? In rebellion to both the suggestion that she was wrong in her taste and lacking in will power, her enthusiasm grew. Almost accusingly at the non- existent shoots, she continued:

"_I've given you pot ash, you've given me zip." _A glance outside the window gave her a view of a poster with a message:

_If you see something, Say something. _And then the pounding monotone, the lyrics of Closed for Renovations, without the soothing voice of Marley to cut it with:

_We're closed for renovations, for spiffying and grooming…_ Kitty fought back with a battle cry that sounded like a plea, and it was likely she wasn't referring to the actual, corporeal pots before her.

"_Oh God how I missed you, oh pod how you tease, Now please: Grow for me." _The monotone grew, as though angered by her resistance. The two other equally empty besides dirt pots made three and Kitty had a sudden panic and pushed forward.

Like the disappearance of Audrey, Audrey Jr. and Seymour, it was though these pots, bare as they were, would sprout, kind of like her relationship with Noah, Noah's with Jake, and Jake's with Marley's and the balances that were preserved because of them. And she would make them grow even if it killed her.

"_I've tried you at different levels of moisture, from desert to mud" _She really had, tried to be supportive of Marley and Jake by staying away, being a common enemy, tried to provide Noah with the ideal girlfriend, and tolerated all the strain that resulted from handling two, well, lies: her hidden love for Marley and her non-existent one for Noah. That time in the movie theater had been painful, but she had gotten through it wit out looking at Marley, even if the darkness offered it's tempting cover from being seen.

_We're closed for renovation, for swabbing down and brooming…. No, we were closed because of fear, not improvement, you don't get it? _Kitty thought back.

_The phones have not stopped ringing with the customers who say, Another bunch of peonies, Another bunch of Daises, please…_.

"_I've given you grow lights and mineral supplements, What do you want from me, blood?" There's a thought- people pinch themselves to stop dreaming, maybe the shock…. _Kitty shook her head. _I'm no emo-teen. _Still, she gripped her spade tightly, if only for stability. Both songs nearing their end, Kitty pushed hard:

"_Looks like you're not happy, less I open up a vein…_ No one was, were they? Not Noah, not Jake, and sure as hell not Marley.

_We're closed for renovations today… Renovations_ finished, and Kitty began her own finale.

"_I'll give you a few drops, if it'll appease…" _The metal spade Kitty had foolishly gripped instead of the handle in her haze, slipped then, and a few drops of blood slipped out. Kitty gasped, and on pure instinct held a few drop over a pot and watched a drop sink into the soil followed by a few more, and she dropped the tool.

"_Now, Please, oh, oh, oh, please, Grow for me." _

A cough caused her to look up. The instructor, as well as a majority of students were staring, and Kitty met their gaze, angry and tired, and too upset to feel embarrassed.

"Makes effort to try alternative methods in aiding plant development." The teacher looked up from making his commendation on a clip board. "Well, it looks like I might get tenure after all. While I support experimentation, Ms. Wilde, please be careful with the tools. Here's a note to take to the nurse." He handed her a slip of paper and indicated her wounded hand. Taking it, Kitty glanced in the pot with blood in it.

The dirt shifted, a small nub appearing followed by a bulb, like an avocado.

"No…" Kitty looked pale, which was hard to do, because of her natural lack of pigment. But really, she was elated, although horrified at her elation.

A miniscule Audrey Jr. poked out of the dirt.

_I'm back, Baby!, _The plant grinned, speaking in a tiny, but still gruff, voice.

Kitty let out a shriek and ran out of the room, the eyes of the students and the teacher, as well as the calls of the plant to come back following her down the hall.

So Kitty wasn't surprised as she spilled her guts to Ryder, full of guilt and self righteousness at Ryder insistence that she was nicer or at least decent.

The two sat near the lockers, Ryder having called to cancel his meeting for his dyslexia, and Kitty not caring about her prior engagements.

"You cannot tell anyone, Ryder. I'm asking as a friend here." Ryder turned his slowly towards her.

"You have a weird idea of friendship, Kitty. Besides what about all those people who heard you?" Kitty rolled her eyes.

"Ryder, half of them don't know who we are, and the other half don't care. Really, this school is huge, the fact that anyone can remember anyone is a testament to how much bullshit it is that this generation has intimacy issues." Ryder shrugged.

"I don't know. A ton of people were pissed about the end of Brittania." Kitty stared.

"What?"

"Oh, sorry. _Santanity_?" He tried. Recognition crossed Kitty's face, followed by an unimpressed expression.

"Yeah, School slut number one and School slut number two breaking up was a real tragedy. The recombined strains of Gonorrhea are weeping."

"Yeah… didn't you let Brittany call you a slut on her 'Fondue for Two' segment?"

"I bring a certain class to the term." Both Kitty and Ryder laughed.

"You're a slut and my 'girlfriend' is likely a psychopath."

"A slut who has a crush on another girl, who's involved with her ex. Don't forget that. It's important," Kitty said with a degree of solemnity.

"For what?"

"My intro on _Jerry Springer_." Again both laughed.

"S. are you into girl now, or…." Kitty shrugged, mimicking Ryder from earlier.

"I really don't care who I like. I just don't need waves right now, and this thing with Marley is a bitch."

"You, not cause waves?"

"Outside of glee club, I'm just a drop in the bucket." Here, there was some sadness.

"Does Marley know?" Kitty nodded.

"But not Jake?" Again, a nod.

"I don't know Kitty, I don't feel right about keeping this from a friend."

"I'm only asking for the good of everyone in New Directions." Ryder looked unsure, but then nodded, holding up a finger.

"How about this? I'll give you till school lets out, and then I'm telling Jake. That way if you're unsure, you at least have until then to tell him, and all summer to let this blow over."

"Sounds good. Shake on it?" Kitty offered her hand as the both of them stood. Ryder shook it.

"Why do I feel like I'm making a deal with devil?" Kitty smirked.

"They did say the face of the devil would be beautiful."


	12. Callbacks and Mourning

_So long and thanks for all the clam._

"Are you kidding me?" A few faces in the afternoon sun cast by a window in McKinley High's hallway stared at her, and Kitty recognized one or two from her outburst a week ago. Kitty held their gaze, leaving her face neutral, waiting for them to look down in a mixture awkwardness and disinterest, which she found worked a lot better than fear. Granted, most of her contacts and popularity had waned. Not that she was unpopular, but given the circumstances, Kitty found her queen bee status evaporated, most of the Unholy Trinity schema disassembled since the last generation of Cheerios left.

Essentially, Kitty was like a deity from a defunct religion: venerated, but without any of the practices that defined the purpose of the faith.

So a Cheerio being dumped, by text message no less, and exclaiming in the hallway attracted only as much attention as anyone else would, save for, perhaps, the melodrama of Rachel Berry; as a freshman, Kitty had seen things, and more importantly _heard_ things about the Class of 2012 that ranged from hilarious: Rachel Berry could hit a high note that potentially made guys orgasm, and that's how she kept getting dates from rather attractive males who would do anything to be near her, to the likely, or at least possible: Rachel Berry wouldn't care which guy she got, she only had eyes for Quinn Fabray, or as she had heard it, "_Faberry_ babies _would_ be super cute." Kitty paused. Ryder was right: Brittany was perceptive.

_In a Forrest kind of way, I suppose. _

As privy to this knowledge, or what passed for it in the school's rumor mill, Noah's sudden ending of their relationship didn't surprise her. What did, however, was the flippant style- she had been expecting this _moment_, given how there relationship had turned into a string of meetings to pour over his work ("Maybe less gratuitous nudity? "But in _Star Trek_…."), gain inspiration from movies ("The fuck is the point of Whittaker's character in _Species, _huh?" "The hell if I know, Kitty") and occasionally be physical ("Do you want to?" "Um, if you do, I'm down with that…"). She had expected a thoughtful response, at the very least better than a perversion of _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ sequels, or, alternatively, nothing at all.

"I got the reference, you knew I would, so what gives with the brush off?" Now people were staring, and Kitty didn't feel like playing aloof. Shutting her locker, the girl ignored a few chanced looks of the freshman, vaguely aware she was starting a few rumors about herself.

A sneaking suspicion dawned on her than, that this half cocked, half baked breakaway was the result of Noah's…._thought process. Noah had put thought into this. _That struck her as odd: Noah conducted his relationships under the mantra of _"hit it, then quit it"_ only staying with Kitty, she figured due to some nostalgia for his former high school….not quite glories, and the fact her eyes didn't glaze over when he mentioned something about science fiction or video games. Then again there was nothing about pausing in between the hitting and quitting, so Noah would have left when he was good and ready, and yet, this message suggested hesitation. Kitty groaned.

"_Fuck me_," She mouthed silently. Unlike her popularity, their relationship hadn't evaporated cleanly. There were remains, like this memento of a text that likely was supposed to spare her, but failed because Noah was a fucking idiot.

Shutting her phone, and forsaking the rumors that would follow her, _them_, Kitty looked for that infuriating, little pearl surrounding her irritation- _a clam metaphor, you see, or are oysters the ones that make pearls?_-

_Karley._ Kitty stopped. That's what they would call them. The freshman gossip mill, that Bastille against the obtrusive fact that they were the lowest of the low, and a four year wait was the only cure for their disease, would talk about them as though they were curios, relics, patients, afflicted with some disorder that made them fundamentally different, that made those freshman different, as Kitty thought she would be, compared to getting pregnant, forming a little encampment in the 'closet' and treating every day as though it were one's last and being grade A psychos. They would be known as _Karley_, portmanteaus were always generated by the youngest in the school; every other grade unconcerned with being apart from the narratives they had developed in the intermediary, which by then had formed a piece of the school's subculture- only the new arrivals were aware of the severity that couples were pursued and the intensity they were conducted with.

Setting herself against a wall, a bit past the lockers, Kitty focused on the moniker. Before, the possibility of a future with the brunette was an extension, like being valedictorian, or meeting a spouse while still a student.

_If other people, who are…_sane_….not _as_ insane, can picture it, than it might be possible-probable. _Separate from the milieu, even the _newbs_ could see that Kitty and Marley would be compatible- at least if Kitty kept this up.

_Newbs? I've been spending _way_ too much time with that boy. _The quip animating her some, she pulled herself off the wall she was slouching against, her mood dispelling just a bit. The hallway coming back into her conscious perception, Kitty saw the girl, deciding to walk over.

"Marls." The brunette tensed, slightly, before resuming loading her books into the locker.

"Hey, Kit…ty." Grinning at the failed attempt to return the nickname, Kitty shuffled closer, aware that her posture resembled the amorous individuals keen on obtaining a date, or failing that, at least a current phone number. Marley turned slowly, to face her, eyebrows raised. "What?"

"Noah broke up with me." Marley frowned, face contorting into one of comforting, and Kitty speculated that she learned it as a baby from her mother.

"I'm sorry, Kitty. What'd he say?" Kitty didn't skip a beat, calling up and showing the taller girl the message. Staring at the message for a bit, Marley looked back up at Kitty. "Clam?"

"It's Noah Puckerman, think about it." Glancing back at the screen, then pressing the down button to call the screen off it's short slumber.

Then Marley's face crinkled in mild disgust. Kitty laughed. "There you go." Marley gave the cell back.

"That's…personal," the brunette tried to redeem the remark.

"Not for Noah, it isn't. By the way, Ryder knows."

"That you broke up?"

"No, Marley. Not that."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"How?" It appeared that thought had only just occurred to Marley.

"Does it make a difference? Embarrassed are we?"

"Just curious."

"I had a," Kitty thought back to the freak outs and drama that made 2012 so interesting a class, "_senior_ moment, you could say, and blabbed. Ryder made me feel like crap talking about how your boyfriend thinks I'm nice."

"You are, Kitty."

"Yeah, well, my little rant also caught the attention of a couple of plebs from the freshman class, and so, _Karley's_ going to be very popular, very soon." Kitty wasn't sure how to feel when it only took a few seconds for her to catch on.

"Cute. I prefer _Wilde Rose_, but yeah, _Karley _would make a nice name for those kids you mentioned." Kitty froze, but managed to stumble into a response.

"What about Jake?"

"What about him?"

"Cold, Rose. That's my line." Marley rolled her eyes.

"I mean, nothing has changed. The fact that you like me, that we could be a couple is news to you and only you. I've thought about it, you know.

"Why?"

"Because; being treated, the way you treated me, you have to wonder if there isn't an ulterior motive. You have to hope there is, or face a very bleak place. It turned out I was right, and you made that happen Kitty. You think you liking me, maybe even having stronger feelings for me, was a bad thing?" It took Kitty a minute to comprehend that Marley was waiting for a response.

"Yes." Kitty's voice was harsh, she had grown comfortable letting the other girl speak.

"It wasn't. It made me feel good, gave me hope. It's nice to be liked, Kitty. That's what you don't understand; how much actual feelings, and not whatever it is you do, seducing, or manipulating or whatever, have a hold over people. This isn't just a hobby." Kitty frowned, something at the corner of her mind pulled uncomfortably. "You made me happy. The worse thing you thought you did or felt, made me feel better."

"Great. I'm the Mother Teresa of unrequited love. How does that help me?" Marley sighed exasperatedly.

"It doesn't. This is the last stop, I guess. You've helped me, and I can't give you anything else in return."

"Can't or won't?"

"Can't, Kitty." Marley stared, wearily past Kitty, and whatever the girl was looking at, it wasn't corporeal. _Nice to have that happen to someone else for a change. _Her thoughts gave way to Marley's voice. "Actually, I've found myself thinking if things would be better if we were together, if you had realized this sooner?" Her inflexion implied something to be learned, considered, and the echo in Kitty's head made it sound all the more condescending, even as her good sense told her that Marley would never be that way, especially considering-

_Wait. _

"You want to be with me?" Marley paused, met her eyes, and then blinked.

"I always said there was a possibility, you remember." Marley shifted on her feet, and Kitty forcefully stretched her hand in front of her, against the locker. After a beat, Kitty realized that intimidation did not work when the person to be intimidated is almost a head taller. Kitty continued nonetheless.

"Yeah, a possibility. That sounded a lot like a _desire_." Marley stared at the ceiling before returning her gaze to the vicinity of Kitty's face.

"This has been going on for weeks now, okay? I'm allowed to….think about what might have been, or," Marley took a breath, "what might be." Kitty and Marley stood in silence for a beat, then two and then three. Now officially an awkward silence, Kitty struggled for something to say that might be helpful.

"He wants me to tell Jake." Marley swallowed, remembering she could move.

"Ryder?" A nod.

"What do you want me to do?" Marley looked up, eyes shimmering, tears pricking.

"He's right, of course…"

"That wasn't my question. Besides considering the likelihood that Ryder can't even spell 'right' you may be giving him too much credit." Kitty hoped the insult humor may brighten Marley, or at least stop her from crying, but the girl merely continued with Kitty's line of illogic.

"It's not about him. It's about the situation, Ryder or no Ryder, I'm being dishonest, and so are you."

"Hey, I'm not dating him." A tear slid down Marley's cheek, and Kitty wondered if that was because she was reminded of how much worse it would look for her.

"You're his friend; that has to mean something to you, Kitty." The girl dropped her hand.

"Of course it does, don't be stupid."

"Don't be cruel, then. Don't hold back, and do tell him. Everything, Kitty-everything, okay. I'll, I don't know….back you up, I suppose."

"Marley, I-"

"Just do it, let the chips fall, and let's see what happens." That last part sounded hopeful, but Kitty didn't get a chance to ask as Marley closed her locker, and, for as far as Kitty could see, fled down the hallway. The hall way now empty, giving her a view of her Marley-_there I go again-_Kitty dismissed the warning of the late bell, and instead headed to the choir room.

It seemed odd, given that this room had only helped to complicate Kitty's life, and entangle her on perfectly benign terms, with absolutely malevolent results. And yet, Kitty found that the room was a constant in the chaos.

Except for now.

"_Strings a strumming, flutes a trilling, numbing minds, and calming nerves while steps away, the beast is drilling._

Her body betrayed her; she had been absently humming 'A Little Dental Music'- a fitting description, the lyrics, but one she didn't need, and avoiding the thought of her body, not just her mind, being under attack, she focused on the task at hand.

_Muzak in the lobby helps the patients to ignore/ the fact that writhing agony waits right behind the door._

Walking into the choir room in rebellion, her first sight was Mr. Shuester sitting at a desk, eating what appeared to be a sandwich, lunch replete with a napkin bib. _Okay, fair enough, auditory hallucination, you're right._

"Knock, knock." The teacher started a bit, attempting to swallow the mouthful of salami, bread and mustard he had been chewing, and succeeded after a gulp of ice tea.

"Kitty, come in, please." A pause. "Don't you have class?"

"Don't you have a faculty break room to eat lunch in?"

"Point taken."

"Why are you eating in here, anyway?"

"Well, I let Miss Pillsbury eat in the faculty room, last time she tried to have lunch in a classroom… it wasn't good." Kitty frowned.

"Didn't Miss Pillsbury leave _you_ at the alter?" Mr. Shuester sighed.

"Did you come to discuss my love life, or lack thereof, Kitty?" The last part was added before Kitty could respond, and she merely smiled.

"No; I came here to discuss mine." She timed it so that the glee director swallowed a large amount of tea in surprise. Managing to suppress a coughing fit, he responded, "Come again?"

"Exactly my point." The teacher caught on faster now.

"Kitty…."

"Really, now, you walked into that one."

"What is this about?"

"Fair warning." Kitty lost all pretense of the back and forth, so suddenly, in fact, Mr. Shuester leaned back a bit, as though Kitty might lunge forward.

"Is Coach Washington planning something against the glee club, is that what you're trying to tell me?"

"_Sure_, and Timmy fell down a well, too. No. This deals with the Looney bin in here, not the one out there."

"A problem with another glee member?"

"This isn't _Jeopardy_, Mr. Shuester."

"Tell me."

"Trying to." Mr. Shuester held up his hands and waited in silence.

_The sound of pain is muted by a thousand living strings_.

_And Mr_. _Shuester's mouth, _Kitty thought back.

"It's about Marley and me." The teacher stared before responding.

"Is this another dog-film joke?"

"What?"

"_Lassie_, _Marley And Me_….

Through gritted teeth, "Marley and I."

"What's wrong with Marley?"

"Nothing. Well that's it actually…."

"I don't understand…"

_You'll be waiting here till noon_.

_You're in for brutal torture when it's your turn…. in the chair. _The melody in her head ended on a short piano flourish, and Kitty shook her head, grateful, but bemused.

I'm not even sitting," she pointed out to no one. Mr. Shuester offered her one. "Thanks." Dropping herself into the foreshadowed chair, nowhere near as imposing as in the song. "I'm going to destroy glee club." The teacher, for his part, rumbled tissue paper bib and tiny dab of mustard in the corner of his mouth, neither burst out laughing or accused her of being in league of any antagonist of the glee club.

"Why would you want to that, Kitty?" The question was asked evenly, attempting to understand the situation himself, before more information was added, but without back tracking and losing the girl's patience, or his own.

"I don't _want_ to. It's just going to happen."

"How, Kitty?" Kitty took a deep breath.

"Marley…"

"You said nothing was wrong with her."

"Nothing is. She's p-perfection," Kitty finished with a stammer, staring at the floor.

"So…Glee club is going to be destroyed because you like Marley. As more than a friend." Then he burst out laughing.

"Hey! This is not funny. You glowered Finn all the way to Ohio State for kissing Miss Pillsbury, what's Jake-throw-my-music-stand-down-in-anger-cause-I-ca n't-finish-a-song-Puckerman going to do when I tell him I-I want Marley, and Marley wants me." Mr. Shuester let go of a breath as the chuckles subsided.

"Yes. Well, Miss Pillsbury-Emma is-_was,_ my fiancé. It's different, you know." That last bit was meant to be sarcastic.

"Oh. Was it? I must have missed the deep, spiritual connection as she _fled_ the church like it was on fire!" The quiet of the room, held at bay by voices, rushed in like water from up above. Kitty shut her eyes, the blood rushed in her ears causing her to stall.

"We're trying, you know. Dating, again, I'm giving her space." Kitty opened her eyes.

"Is that what she wants?"

"I have no idea. I mean, you just came here, concerned about _my_ club, that I'm leading, concerned about how their life could impact others-no one's done that you know, Kitty. None of the other kids, ever were so concerned that the personal stuff would be a problem, and I laughed. At you. The whole point of glee club is to laugh _with_ you, not _at_ you."

"I thought the point of Glee club is that everyone else laughed at us."

"I'm sorry, is what I'm trying to say. The thing is, New Directions has weathered a lot of things like this."

"The others, they don't like me." Kitty responded quickly, and shrewdly, as if trying to avoid the obvious nature of the situation.

"No, they like you…" The teacher was a piss poor liar.

"Ryder, sure. Jake… maybe. Marley's complicated, and Wade…_Unique_ tolerates me. But after I admit this, that's it.

"Then why are you?"

"Ryder's making me. And I guess, it would be best to be honest. Give temper tantrum a run for his money-and his girl."

"That's a bit mean spirited Kitty. When did Ryder find out?"

"A few days ago, I think. It's all blurring together, and now, I can only more forward. It's not mean. It's not even spirited. It's…_progress_. For me, at least." Mr. Shuester seemed to accept that.

"What is it you want me to do, exactly?"

"Your job." It could have been taken as an insult, but the quiet way in which it was said belied its import.

"Keep the glee club together?" Kitty nodded. Rubbing his hands together sagely, before speaking. _He's really enjoying this, isn't he? _The thought ought to make Kitty mad, but she was glad he was taking this well- Kitty figured he wouldn't be angry, but this…_familiarity _was surprising, and surprisingly welcomed by the girl. "It's not something that I have complete control over, you understand. The kids…I can't keep them here."

"Try."

"That goes without saying."

"But still. I need to have your word that you'll try." Kitty could imagine that while the teacher was very attached to the club, he was more than willing to give it up if the students that made it up were not benefiting from it, and given his exposure as an advocate for the arts, she factored in the seduction of an administrative post, never mind Principal Figgins poor example.

"I promise." William Shuester was a man, it seemed, that would not take promises lightly, and as little faith as Kitty had in them, she could trust that personality quirk to work in her favor, especially if he thought he was inspiring the youth.

"Okay then." Kitty stood, feeling her back crack a bit, a small amount of stiffness accumulated as she had barely moved during the interim.

"Kitty, you know my door is always open, okay?"

"Mr. Shuester, you know no one would need that much help, unless from a professional, and speaking of which…" She let herself trail off, knowing the teacher would stop her.

"Good bye, Kitty"

Kitty hadn't planned on it, but there seemed a method to her madness. First Marley, then Mr. Shuester. Marley was the closest, just because she was the closest. That was self evident. Mr. Shuester was next on the list, someone who could suffer from her actions. Kitty's morality was complex, at least she thought so; based on a list of prerogatives and assumptions that borne her risk: attempting to deal with Marley's affections instead of just pushing them away, just one example. But she understood impact, responsibility and decency like the back of her hand, and her mind had led her to the people who could most be hurt, in the order that she could deal with them.

That last part showed a bit of maturity, she was beginning to understand that she couldn't handle certain things without some damage, change things without being changed herself. That was the one bright spot in not being able to just take Marley, to make her happy with reckless abandonment, was that she was growing.

To that end, next on her list was the person who, through representation, might be, at the very least, put off by that desire.

"Quinn?" Sitting in her car, cell against her ear, head resting against the window, as she felt drained.

"Kitty."

"Gee, don't sound too happy to hear from me."

"Mm. Just tired. I just finished a large project and I'm getting a little rest."

"In your freshman year?"

"Science requirement. Admittedly, I went a little overboard and had to rush to finish, but, I just got one of the harder parts of my curricula done, so counting it as a win."

"And here I thought Quinn Fabray was going to party and sleep with strangers." That got a laugh.

"Sleep with strangers? Um, no. Was there something you needed?"

"Right. Well, you know, I try to live up to the standards you set during your high school career, right?"

"I'd hardly call being a bitch, getting knocked up, dyeing my hair neon pink and managing to graduate standards, Kitty." Now it was Kitty's turn to laugh. "Fair enough. But you made it look good, and I'm scared…. I won't be able to do that."

"Kitty, what's wrong?" Swallowing, Kitty finally shifted in her seat, wiping her eyes, bursting the accumulating tears and causing a few to roll down her cheek. "I'm-I like someone who I shouldn't, and I don't think things will turn out okay."

"Marley, you mean?" Kitty hiccupped

"How-"

"Women's intuition. There's nothing wrong with liking another girl, you know. I mean you were fine with me and Santana. Please don't tell me you hold yourself to a higher standard. Even you're not that conceited."

"You think so highly of me," Kitty's face smiled a watery smile. "It's not that-I can't fix this. When I tell Jake, I'm going to hurt him, and Marley and everyone else will have to deal with the aftermath."

"You do realize, I'm not a saint, and the people around you aren't either. You can't believe the hype Kitty."

"What hype?"

"That you're a bitch, and everyone else is at your whim, and will be devastated if you don't treat them with the utmost kindness."

"Oh."

"Better?'

"I think so."

"Great."

"Um, talk to you later?"

"Sure thing. I'll be free all evening after…five, so call then." Kitty nodded, then rolled her eyes at herself.

"Sure."

Quinn and Kitty gave one final goodbye each, and Quinn hit 'end call' setting the cell on the nightstand, an impulse buy when shopping for college supplies. While her mother had been adamant about having a few personal touches to combat Quinn's frugalness, she did not imagine her mother comprehending how that piece of furniture made the room more _adult._

Quinn rolled over, pressing a sheet against her bare skin, attempting to keep her bed mate from waking.

"So, we'll conclude at five then?" Quinn froze.

"So you're up?"

"Yes Quinn, although I appreciate the grace period."

"You don't have to leave, and don't try and make me feel guilty. What the hell did you do to Kitty?"

"Followed your advice." Quinn sighed.

"Rachel, this is supposed to be fun."

"An experiment, I remember, and this is a pleasant distraction."

"Only pleasant?" The brunette smiled.

"Perhaps I need more convincing," leaning forward suggestively.

Quinn smiled, brushing her lips against hers. "See? Santana can be right…. about _some_ things."

A/N: Abrupt yes I know, but the next chapter will detail Kitty's talk with Jake, and a bit more explanation on this little get together. Till then~ LoungeLizard


End file.
